Worlds Apart
by Articunomew
Summary: The Keyblade Masters were the first line of defence against the Heartless. Now the Universe must trust in the powers of the last defence. The ancient Crests have been awoken, and their bearers must protect Kingdom Hearts, or doom the Universe to darkness.
1. Worlds Apart: Prologue

Worlds Apart  
Change of Heart, Change of Destiny

A large white room stood empty, apart from one, large platform. Around the platform, twelve circles in varying colours lay empty, with a centralised pool, in which various images appeared.

_A young boy ran through the lush fields of a foreign world. Darkness surrounded the boy, and slowly, one by one, skeletons dug their way out of the earth, aiming directly for the boy. Silver flashed as a sword was drawn, turning the frail skeletons into dust which blew away on the winds. On the hand of the boy, three triangles, two side-by-side, the other on top of the other two, glinted and shone with a golden light as the boy fought, the lower-right triangle shining more brightly through the darkness._

_A teenager handled himself like a man. Fire burned in his eyes as he pointed a finger towards a strange creature. At his command, a second creature attacked the first, shooting a jet of pressurised water at the first. As it was hit, the creature was born backwards as it bore the brunt of the attack. Slamming against a stone embedded deep within the earth, the stone cracked where it had been slammed with the body of the creature. As the water slowed down and disappeared, the creature slid to the ground, its eyes closed in the sting of defeat._

_A girl was walking along the golden shore of an island, gazing out onto the seemingly endless abyss that was the sea. Looking up at the sky, the girl, soon to be a woman; brushed red hair out of her eyes. Her dreamy blue eyes sharpened as she saw a star falling towards the ocean. A pink aura surrounded the girl as an invisible power stretched out towards the shining light, before retracting into the heart of the girl. Her looked changed to wistful, as she looked down once more, and trudged along the sands once more._

_A blonde girl carried herself like a queen. Walking elegantly down the halls of an ancient castle, she stopped occasionally to gently touch a picture or artefact on display. Entering into a grand room, she walked directly to the object on display in the centre of the room; an instrument coloured a royal blue. Eight holes dotted the surface of the instrument, and a small pipe led out from the egg-like body of the instrument. Taking the instrument out of its case, the girl began playing a tune that seemed to hold the power of time within its notes._

_A brown-haired boy was within a strange machine. His eyes were closed, and as he slept, the room around him pulsed and changed. Within the boy's mind, memories were returning as he began remembering who he was, and his place within the universe. A light shimmered around his right hand, forming into the outline of an enormous key, before dissipating into the still air. The sounds of fighting could be heard echoing up the hallway to the room, but within it, the boy continued to sleep._

_Swinging a small device towards a computer terminal, the teenage boy cried out. A portal appeared on the face of the computer, and as it slowly appeared, the boy disappeared, his body being transformed into digital data. One of the most important things in his life was within the computer; his soul, his best friend, and his destiny. To this boy, adventure meant no bounds as he was taken to a world within a world, a world made out of the pure hearts and digital coding of the technology of the world._

_Walking within a forest, a cat-like creature hummed a soft tune to itself, taking in the soft, natural colours of the thick forest. A bright flash of light caught the cat's attention, and with no further warning, it took off towards the source of the flash. Reaching its destination, the cat found a small group of teenagers dusting themselves off and looking around. A look of happiness crossed the face of one girl as she caught sight of the creature. On the belt of the girl, a small device shone with a white light, displaying a symbol that was connected to the creature._

_A ball was kicked towards a man swimming within a gigantic sphere of water. Instantly taking the ball in his hands, the man kicked his feet in a swift swim. Aiming for the goal of his opposing team, the boy caught sight of a shadow just behind him and threw the ball to another player on his team, just as he was tackled from behind. A buzzer sounded as the ball was sent into the goal by his team-mate, and even underwater, the man let out a yell of elation. Giving his team-mate a high-five, he went to his position in preparation for the next ball._

_A woman in her mid-twenties was facing down a monster almost five times her size. Aiming her double pistols, she fired bullets that seemed to rent the fabric of time and space as they shot through the air. Alongside the woman, two others, a blonde woman and a grey-haired woman set up for their own attacks. A sword flashed as it sliced the air, quickly followed by two daggers stabbing into the monster's flesh. It was finished y the woman's shots again, and with the bullets, the monster fell to the ground, multicoloured orbs floating from its body._

_Giving a small berry to a mouse-like creature, a young teenager laughed as the creature roasted the berry with a sharp flash of lightning. In response to the static electricity zapping through the air, the boy's hair began standing on end, until all of his hair was standing on end. Apparently used to this, the boy ignored it, playfully poking the creature, provoking it into another bolt of electricity. Easily dodging the lightning, the boy laughed again, tagging his partner in an obvious game._

And then, around the pool, things were simply _there_. With no warning, the twelve pedestals were full.  
Three beautiful women, one with red hair, one with blue and the last with green. The three looked similar enough for them to be sisters, but each seemed completely separate from the others, and yet, as one with them.  
Three creatures flashed into existence. A pink kitten, a green creature that resembled a plant in more ways than one, and a third that was an odd mixture of flesh and metal. While they looked small and harmless, they radiated an undeniable aura of power.  
A small boy appeared alone on a circle, but two other humans appeared alongside him within a second. Looking carefully at the boy, a dragon could almost be seen. The woman to his left look carefully around, while the man on his right shuffled closer to the boy.  
An angel with eight wings appeared, with another woman, this one with the same eight wings and two smaller white ones. Behind the two, an enormous, rabbit-jester hybrid creature floated, looking like an angel, yet giving off an aura of power and magnificence.

And without warning, a large voice, echoing throughout the emptiness of the chamber, said simply; _"The Heartless have been released once more."_

Each being within the chamber did nothing. A charge in the air seemed to convey messages, but there was no-one to hear these messages apart from the other beings themselves. A feeling of united consent had collected, and when all had agreed, the chamber became empty again.  
Booming out once more, a voice that echoed through the ages and passed space, the voice said two, simple sentences that would change the universe.

"_The call has been sent out. The Crest Holders are about to Awaken."_


	2. Chapter 1: Radient Light Surrounding You

Chapter One  
Radiant Light Surrounding You

_Everybody wants to be a master,  
__Everybody wants to show their skills.  
__Everybody wants to get there faster,  
__Make their way to the top of the hill._

_Each time you try,  
__Gonna get just a little bit better.  
__Each step you climb  
__Is one more step up the ladder._

_Pokemon Johto  
__Totally Pokemon_

The Pokemon World; an ancient world that still held the beauty of nature in every corner of the globe. Within the humid Hoenn, common Zigzagoons played with each other, eating the occasional berry and enjoying the sun, while it lasted. Within the Johto region; within the Dragon's Den, a powerful trainer; the leader of all Pokemon Trainers of the region trained her Dragon-Type Pokemon, building them up to be the ultimate power. Dashing through the Kanto region, the mythical Suicune stopped suddenly beside a dirty pond of water, dipping her horn into the murky waters. Within five seconds, the water cleared, looking as clean and new as freshly fallen rain. Sailing in the sea of the Sinnoh region, Manaphy, the Prince of the Sea, protected an ancient temple submerged under the waters of the ocean.  
And on Southern Island; one red-headed teenager was currently experiencing the worst thing any teen can; being woken up.

"Ok Sam, it's past midday, and you're getting up. That excuse 'I was up all night training' is not going to work this time. Now, get up." Looking with bleary eyes at his mother, Sam raised his eyebrow, wondering if she was serious. "Don't give me that look. Get up; you have a call coming long distance."

That did it. Looking up more energetically, wondering who was calling him long distance; Sam dragged his reluctant body from his bed, following his mother out into the dining room. Picking up the phone, he let out a husky, 'Hello?"

* * *

Within the Chamber of the Gods, one of the pedestals; the one with the picture of the pink, kitten-like Pokemon lit up, showing a vibrant blue. In response, the creature appeared on the pedestal, blinking as it became accustomed to its new surroundings.

'_The Trials for the Forger of Friendship are about to begin. The Pokemon World holds the most capacity for the Forger of Friendship, and as such, candidates are being selected to undertake the Trials._'

Giving a nod, the kitten let out a soft 'Mew'. Waving its paw, the pool at the centre of the pedestal change from the smoky whiteness of clouds to the compelling call of everlasting darkness. Giving another wave of its paw, a speck of light appeared in the pool, growing bigger until it formed another pedestal, stretching out of nowhere. On the face of the pedestal; a vividly blue bird perched, its wings spread in a war-like pose; Articuno; the Titan of Ice and one of Mew's personal servants.  
Constructing the trials, Mew thought about what he was doing and how it would impact the Universe. Done incorrectly, the Trials would scare off the selected Forger of Friendship, and done too strictly, it would set the Forger too much into their path.

The Trials were to be held in one of the most dangerous, yet, safest, places in this, and any dimension. Right on the brink of eternal darkness, the Trials would be held on the border of the Realm of Darkness and the Realm of Light. It was dangerous, because one false move and anyone on the platform could fall over the edge to be consumed by the darkness. Safe because nothing would be able to kill anyone on the platform; It would be watched over by the creators of this Universe to make sure that the candidates were safe.  
Finishing the first part of the Trials, Mew summoned up images of the candidates. They moved; as the images were showing just what the candidates, or, formally, the Crest Seekers, were doing at that point in time.

A man with black hair and a Pikachu on his shoulder was sitting and reading a book. The Pikachu seemed content to read the book over the man's shoulder, and together, they made a perfect, contented picture.  
The scene changed to a young girl with blonde and purple hair. She was currently polishing a Coperagon, who seemed to be buzzing its pleasure. In the background, a small, blue dragon was flying around the fan on the ceiling, making it spin fast as the air currents moved it around.  
A red-head boy, with blond highlights was talking on some kind of machine. Cocking its head to the side, Mew felt a power calling to him. This boy was psychic, and Mew confirmed it when it saw another strange machine hidden within a band around the boy's wrist, a machine designed to boost psychic powers.

On and on, images passed by, as Mew studied each of the Crest Seekers. When the pool went black, Mew nodded. Raising its head to look at a sky that wasn't there, it opened its mouth, letting out a 'Meeeeeeew!' that seemed to echo through the ages.

'_As you wish._'

* * *

"Ok, great. I'll see you then." Removing the phone from his ear, Sam looked down at it as he hung up. Giving a sigh, he placed it back in its holder, trudging back to his room. Collapsing on the bed, he stared up at the ceiling, ordering his traitorous body to wake up. He had to admit, a bed, especially one that you owned, was definitely on your Top10 List of Favourite Things after nine months of travelling around, getting sunburnt and sleeping on the ground. Looking sidewards at his chest of draws next to his bed, a small smile appeared on Sam's lips as he looked at the photos clustered on it; six Pokemon in a group, with Sam in the middle of them. An aquatic Pokemon, orange and blue, standing on its hind legs as it braced its front paws on Sam's knee. A blue bird perched on Sam's head, and a yellow sheep was just staring into the camera. Above the group, a cloud hovered, but if you looked closely, you could just make out a face. A small fox was posing aggressively next to Sam, while a small cat with wings hovered next to Sam's head. It was Sam's Pokemon Team, but this picture had been taken just before the Diamond League Competition. Since then; a lot had changed. 

The blue, fish-like creature was Sam's starter; Artemis. Artemis had been a Mudkip until the final round of the competition, where he had evolved into a powerful and fast Marshtomp. The cloud was Sam's second Pokemon, Zeus, the Colombolos. The small cat next to his head was Angel; the Holipus. Leto was the small Eevee, who looked strikingly like her mother; Diana. The sheep was Helios, the Mareep, while the small bird was Hera, the Polienix and a present from Sam's sister.  
Sam's reminiscing was very rudely interrupted in that, singular, moment when he was hit with a jet of pressurised and extremely _cold_ water. Being pinned to his bed; Sam looked blankly at the ceiling as he tried to comprehend what had just happened.

A cackling laugh reached his ears, making Sam raise his head. Spying his 'beloved' and 'true' partner, Artemis, Sam's eyes narrowed into a death glare that caused some part of Artemis' brain to scream and die, resulting in Artemis continuing to laugh to himself.

"Ok, I'm up." Sam groaned. Sitting up, he was shot back down by another blast of water. "I said I'm up!"

Giving a shrug, Artemis smirked. _"Yeah, I know. Just getting rid of stress_." Walking off, the Marshtomp laughed to itself, obviously happy that it had succeeded in its project of waking Sam up.

Muttering, Sam wiped the water from his eyes. "Mental note;" He remarked to no-one. "Take Artemis to the Child-Care Centre and leave him there for the day." Starting to shiver in his pyjamas, Sam looked around for the nearest pile of clean laundry. Grabbing his clothing, he got dressed in record time. As he was about to leave his room, he looked back at it; it was a mess, pure and simple, but now had water covering the entire place. Turning around with his hands on his hips, Sam frowned. Placing two fingers within his mouth, Sam let out a whistle that went throughout the house. Changing its pitch and tones several times, Sam finished a small tune; summoning one of his Pokemon. In response to his call, the room began filling with mist that collected in the centre of it, forming into the fluffy shape of Zeus.

"Hey Zeus, lunch is served."

Giving a grin, Zeus stayed in place, floating over the drenched room. Satisfied with his actions, Sam left to look for his own food. Zeus, being a cloud, fed on evaporated water, meaning that he could dry the room faster than anything else Sam could think of right now.

The kitchen was in a similar state of disarray. All of the Sapphire children were home right now, which not only meant that there were five human children, but roughly twelve Pokemon to deal with as well; not counting the family pets; which added three more to the total. Blinking at the chaos happening just in front of him, Sam shook his head. The majority of the trouble was being caused by Artemis and Angel; Artemis throwing things at Angel and Angel avoiding them. Coughing to gain attention, Sam coughed for real when he got a ball of flour in the face.

"Ok, do any of you have respect for your leader?" He asked, wiping off the white powder and dusting off his clothing.

"Nope."

"Naddah."

"Zip."

"Do we really have to grace that with an answer?"

Rasing an eyebrow, Sam looked at Artemis. Ignoring the glare of his Trainer, Artemis grabbed another handful off flour, intent on throwing it at Angel when the half-full bag of flour suddenly flooded out of the bag on its own accord, covering the water Pokemon from head to toe in flour. Giving Artemis a triumphant look, Sam dodged his way through the Pokemon and into the kitchen. As he went through the crowd, various food articles and cutlery began floating around the kitchen. Doors opened up of their own accord, and the items put themselves away. As they were, other such things came floating out; all the stuff Sam needed to make his food.  
And with that started yet another day in the Sapphire Household.

_Name: Samuel James Sapphire  
__Age: Sixteen_

_Alliance: Crest of Friendship Seeker:  
__Due to the effects of his life as a Pokemon Trainer, one of the key factors in Sam's life is friendship. Experiences in the months since he became a Trainer have caused him to have Friendship as the leading force in his life._

_Powers:   
__Ambient Psychic Powers that radiate from a neighbouring Dimension. Previously, he had only Class 3 Powers, but since a breakage in the Dimensional Walls, his powers have bonded with his counterpart's in that dimension and grown stronger._

_Party: Artemis, Marshtomp  
__Zeus, Colombolos  
__Hera, Polienix__   
Helios, Mareep  
__Leto, Eevee  
__Angel, Holipus_

_Achievements:  
__Ran the Rebel Efforts against Team Flora when they resurrected Gaios with the Seeds of Chaos. This led to his death, before the timeline was altered by the Wings of Council.  
__Top Eight at the Diamond League  
__Overall Ranking: 4__th_

_Overall Report:  
__Sam is capable of handling the Crest of Friendship. He won't be able to use it instinctively, but he will be able to use its powers after working with them for a minor amount of time. His value comes from his way of thinking; where he will often predict what is about to happen and reacts accordingly to it. Physically, he does not pose a threat, but mentally, his intelligence will prove an asset to the team._

The computer beeped within Twilight Town. Looking at this new information, a small, mouse-like creature nodded. This information had been sent by the Powers That Be, to him; so that he may react accordingly. Tapping a few keys, a picture of Sam, as well as his party and a further list of his achievements showed on the screen.

"Allied with a Heleon, recommended by Mew, naturally disposed towards the supernatural, impressive." The mouse said to himself. Seeming to have finished with Sam, he clicked on the number '3' along the side-bar of the screen, bring up another profile.

_Name:Katrina Churchill  
__Age:Fifteen_

Continuing to go through the names, the mouse bent his mouth to the side. "Let those who have the overall ranking of One through Five begin to undertake the trials." He said, looking up at the roof, to an unseen presence.

"_As you wish._"


	3. Chapter 2: Backdoor Hacker

Chapter Two  
Backdoor Hacker

_Heading off on a Digital Trip  
__And that's what I plan to do.  
__Going away to a Digital Plane  
__And I ain't coming back real soon.  
__  
The whole thing is electrical.  
__It's running through my veins._

_I'm going Digital.  
__Completely Digital.  
__Now I'm invincible.  
__Let's all get Digital._

_'I'm Going Digital'  
__The Digimon Movie Soundtrack  
_

_**And it was in that pivotal moment that the fate of the Universe was changed. The Dimensional Walls, damaged by the war of the Elementals and the Trainers, split momentarily. Realising that the war would destroy the Universe, Palkia and Dialga, the mythical lords of Space and Time; took the World from the Dimension that was newly opened and took it to this, our, Dimension. Celebi, the Monarch of Time, and Jirachi, the King of Space each then commanded their subjects, though it weighed heavily in their hearts, to take all the Elementals from the new world and imprison them within technology. In penance for their actions, the humans of that world had their magic taken from them and were left to their own imagination.**_

_The Myth of the Pokemon War, from the Book of Uxie_

The Digital World was unique in that its appeal was not on the outside, but on the inside of its technology. Since the creation of the 'Internet' and Network Connections, the clumps of Data within the systems had merged together to form an entire world within a world. Creatures, large and small, known as Digital Monsters, or Digimon, infested the World, relying on the outside influence of the 'Users' in order to survive and evolve.

"Today, many Scientists are unsure why the Data Clumps act this way. The fact that any Data piece will instantly fuse with another has been a source of interest since the creation of computers, and soon these clumps were named 'Ghosts'. These 'Ghosts', once large enough, seemed to form its own personality, often interacting with other programs. With the introduction of the Internet and Virus-Scan programs, these 'Ghosts' have all but disappeared from everyday computer systems, but can sometimes be found in computers without adequate protection."

Looking up at the teacher, keen interest in his blue eyes, Takeru, or just TK, nodded and took notes on his paper. The fact that he had had dealings with these 'Ghosts' and interacted with them almost daily fuelled his interest in the subject. Almost ironically, one of these 'Ghosts' was in the room right now, in T.K's backpack, actually. The Ghost, or rather, the Digimon, went by the name of Patamon, and was currently peering out of T.K's bag, listening to the lecture with interest.

* * *

"_The Crest of Hope has Awakened, situated within the realm of Magi-Earth. Five candidates for the Crest are being chosen as we speak. Are the Trials ready?_"

Giving a soft 'Mew', the Pokemon God waved its hand one, last time over the pool. The pool shone back at the Pokemon as the final Trial was completed, and with a sigh, Mew closed its eyes, as if tired, before levitating itself over the pool. It looked skyward, seeming to communicate silently with the dismembered voice that could be heard throughout the Chamber of the Gods.

"_Yes. Within a day, the Seekers will be taken to their respective Trials. I am summoning the Patrons as we speak. They will be there momentarily._"

Nodding once, Mew waited in silence. Minutes passed and as they did, the Chamber began filling with nine other creatures. Once ten beings were in the Chamber, Mew took its position on its own platform. Once there, Mew clapped once and as it did, the darkness outside the Chamber changed. Dotted around the pedestal the Gods were on were several others, shimmering with different lights. It's bright, blue eyes surveyed its work from afar.

Around the platform, three symbols began glowing. The first, that of three triangles arranged to form one, larger triangle, yielded an impossibly beautiful woman with hair that cascaded like water. A strange, archaic symbol drew the Dragon Lord, Bahamut into existence, while the final one, a picture of a yellow sun, exploded outwards; an eight-winged angel stepping out of the light that poured from the pedestal.

Bahamut, the leader of Spira's Gods, the Aeons, revelled in his draconian form, wings outspread. His arms crossed across his massive chest, Bahamut was the very image of power and majesty, the sense of power rolling off of him in almost visible waves.

Beside him was the more passive, but equally impressive figure of Seraphimon. Seraphimon's domain was in the Digimon World, where he had attained a position that made him the guardian spirit of the entire Digital World. Where Bahamut's power had shone, Seraphimon's beauty filled onlookers with a sense of beauty unparalleled by any other in the universe.

The final deity, Nayru, the Hylian Goddess of Wisdom, was present to represent the sacred trinity of Goddesses as a whole. While in that chamber, Nayru controlled, not only her own, limitless wisdom, but also unbeatable power and endless courage. Together, these three essences formed the very stuff that was needed for the coming moments; magic in vast amounts of power to hold the edge between darkness and light.

Sharing a brief look with Mew, the three Gods' eyes met; a brief moment passing as they communicated without words. With no warning, they transformed, turning into vast balls of energy; purple, gold and blue respectively. Seeming to gather it's strength, Mew underwent a similar transformation, turning into a ball of pink light, joining the other deities in their roles as guardians, and activators, of the Trials of the Crests.

The first batch of Crest Seekers, the Seekers of Fire, would come from the world of Hyrule. However, there were certain people who would also undergo the Trial, yet, now belong to Hyrule or Termina. Bahamut approached this Trial with his power outstretched, purple tendrils reaching out to envelop the five platforms that would play host to the Trials of Courage. Where they had once been a stark white, the platforms slowly began changing colour, eventually becoming the deep red of a wisp of flame. Upon the platform becoming completely colour, the central platform, the other four forming a square around it, shot a beam of red energy into the endless sky. Miles up in the air, it spontaneously exploded, sense jets of light in all directions of the sky.

The Trial of Friendship was energised in a similar manner. Nayru's power seeped into the material of the platforms, tainting it a vivid, sapphire blue. The platforms, arranged in the same pattern as the Trials of Courage, began pulsing as they reached their peak, eventually sending out a similar beam to the Courage Trials, this one a brilliant blue. Water began pouring from the tops of the platforms, pouring into the endless abyss of the darkness that the trials were near.

Flying around the Trials of Love, Mew looked towards Seraphimon, catching its eye as it similarly looked over at the fellow god. Drawing close together, the two Gods, kitten and seraphim, touch, their hands barely brushing each other when they turned a blinding white. Where the two bodies had been distinctly separate, they melded together, the light fading to reveal a tall, armoured figure that had pink skin, white armour, wings and a tail. In its new form, the fusion raised its armoured paw, sending out a wave of pink light that infused the Trials. Slowly, the wave began descending in a visible mist around the Trials, blocking the view of nothingness that below the Trials. A pink streamer was drawn out, combusting itself and spreading around the Universe to summon the seekers to complete the Trials.

Back and forth, the Gods gave their powers into the Trials, placing enough magic into them to stop time, and prevent anybody who died near them from passing on. Below, the darkness pulsed, sending out various tendrils as it began searching for the new sources of power that were now near it. As the dark tentacles came close to the bottom of the Trial of Sincerity, a green vine snaked out, slapping away the adventurous nothingness.

Looking down at the darkness, Nayru, Bahamut and Messiahmon simply watched it, plainly trying to figure out if the darkness would envelop the Trials before it was time.  
But it seemed the answer would be no, because, as one, the three disappeared from sight. Below, the darkness pulsed as it was deterred yet again. In time, the darkness would advance, but now would not be it.

* * *

The pulsing of the school bell jolted the blond-haired boy out of his sleep. Wiping a hand over his face, and to his disgust, learning he had drooled slightly, he sleepily swept everything on his desk into his bag, walking out the door with the rest of his school mates. He was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes when he walked out the entrance of the school. The students of Mulwaree High were chattering happily, and making their own plans for the weekend. Since it was Friday, Matt could easily understand their excitement, which extended to feeling it first hand.  
Emotions pulsed around Matt, and like an emotional sponge, he soaked it all in, fighting to keep track of his own feelings among the turmoil of emotions that filled him. Empathy, the ability to feel the emotions of others, wasn't the easiest magical power to master.

Walking to a secluded area, Matt looked around, ensuring that no-one was watching him. Once he felt safe, he relaxed inwards, and without warning, his surroundings changed from the brick walls of his High School, to the less safe surroundings of his own home. As usual, he was the first home, and as usual, he took advantage of that, quickly raiding his sister's stash of two-minute noodles. By the time his sister came home, the evidence of his deeds would be missing, and hopefully half digested.  
Five minutes later, Matt was stirring the flavouring into his noodles, staring intently at them as he wandered towards his room. When something moved on the horizon of his vision, he looked up, and blinked at the small, black creature that stood in front of him. The two stood, looking at each other, Matt assessing what was in front of him, and the creature, well, he had no idea what the creature was thinking.

Its claws flashed forward with a blinding speed as it abruptly broke the stillness. Thanks to years of karate, Matt's reflexes kicked in, and the creature wound up with noodles on its head as Matt teleported himself behind it. There was no way he'd be able to defend himself if this was something magical, and there was a good chance it was.

Teleporting himself again as the creature leapt to the attack, Matt put himself beside his family's Book of Shadows. Opening it up, he rifled through quickly, keeping an eye on the dark animal that was following him around the house.  
As it came towards him again, Matt moved space and time again as he transported himself, and the Book, into his own room. It was smaller, but it'd take longer for the _thing _to find him.  
Still sifting through the pages, a 'pop' made Matt look up, finding himself face to face with the creature once more.  
That was when the Book jerked in his hands. Sprawling open, the pages rapidly flickered by, and stopped on a spell in the middle. Looking down, and trusting whatever magic that had just guided the book, Matt looked at the creature and began chanting his spell.

"_Light surrounding me, head that way.  
__In my presence, darkness cannot stay.  
__My heart will now set me free,  
__As the light makes shadows flee._"

Pointing at the creature, a bolt of white light shot form Matt's fingertip, engulfing the creature. Giving a silent scream, it writhed momentarily, before exploding into gobs of purple light. Now in an empty room, Matt sighed. The sound of the front door closing told him that his sisters were home, and for that, Matt was truly thankful.


	4. Chapter 3: Until the End of Time

Chapter Three  
Until the End of Time

_Like every tree stands on its own;  
__Reaching for the sky, I stand alone.  
__I share my world with no-one else.  
__All by myself, I stand alone._

_I know the sound of each rock and stone.  
__I embrace what others fear.  
__You were not to roam in this forgotten place.  
__Just the likes of me are welcome here._

_'I Stand Alone'  
__Bryan White_

The winds whistled across the plains of Hyrule, tugging on the clothing of its inhabitants, whistling through the manes of the horses and soaring past the jaws of Hyrule's more dangerous creatures.  
The wind could not make it deep within the groves of the Lost Woods, however, try as it may. The woods, having been left to its own power for the better part of the entire history of the world, had long ago developed a life of its own, and it did not appreciate invaders.  
Deep within the ancient groves of the Lost Woods, magic pulsed and rippled, heading towards one, central cluster of trees. A wooden stump was nearby, which seemed to play as a signpost to the area. Animals and creatures watching the area quickly took off in alarm, not turning back for several hours as the magical forces that governed the forest fluxed, eventually reaching their peak with the arrival of a young boy and his horse.

Link, the Fairy Boy; more formally known as the Hero of Time, and Saviour of Termina, looked around the clearing with wary, blue eyes. The last time he had been here, chronologically, three days ago, magically, many months ago, his horse had been stolen by one of the most potent evil forces in the world. Since then, he had destroyed that force, which had been trapped within a mask, releasing it harmlessly, and without form, into the world it had tried so hard to destroy.  
But it had not reckoned on facing the Hero of Time. Nor had it reckoned on facing the Hero of Time and the Goddess of Time joining together to defeat its efforts. Majora's Mask, the physical embodiment of misery and suffering, had tried to pull the moon of Termina into the earth, destroying the land, but had been beaten back by a boy, his fairy, and a collection of masks that were filled with the happiness, joy and laughter of the citizens of the country of Termina.

Stepping out into the darkness of the forest, Link tugged on the reins of a young, brown horse that trailed beside him. A chestnut mare, she shook her head impatiently as Link made his way tentatively through the Lost Woods. It had taken them three weeks to get here before, and even now, there was a good chance it would take longer to get back. The Songs of the Temples, in particular, the Minuet of Forest, a song designed to bring the musician back to the fabled Forest Temple of Hyrule, did not work outside of the boundaries of Hyrule, something Link had crossed long ago.  
A rustle in the bushes nearby had Link moving almost automatically. With blinding speed, he had his bow out with an arrow nocked on it, ready to shoot at the first sign of danger. Link's movement had seemingly scared whatever it was off. Hearing no further movement from that direction, Link moved on, replacing the arrow in his quiver, but keeping his bow hooked over his shoulder. Whether he could hear it or not, the Lost Woods still had dangers that would easily kill the unwary traveller.

* * *

The pedestal that showed a green triangle began to glow, signalling the arrival of the Goddess it represented. In the next moment, a gust of wind blew, bringing with it, the clean smell of an endless forest, the burnt ash of a volcano, and the crisp saltiness of the sea. A world of possibilities and adventure seemed caught up in that wind, but for Farore, the Hylian Goddess of Courage, none of that would be possible unless the Crest Holders were summoned.  
The Crest Seeker Trials had been completed, Farore was unsure when. It may have been a day, or an eternity ago, but to an immortal being, time was meaningless.

Outstretching her golden hand over the central pool of the Chamber of the Gods, Farore summoned to her the images of the most courageous beings within the universe. A boy, leading a horse through the Lost Woods, was the first being to appear. Farore knew this child, he had been her chosen one since the time of his birth. He was the bearer of the Triforce of Courage, and the power of Farore ran rampant in his veins.  
Staring into the pool, Farore concentrated her powers, bridging the gap between the world of Hyrule and here. The horse would have to be put into a sleep until her owner was done with the Trials, otherwise she would wander off, and possibly put herself into harm while her master was otherwise occupied.  
A collection of red energy collected at the end of Farore's hand, as the divine magic she used was called into being. Down in the pool, the boy froze, and to all appearances, disappeared, along with his horse. Working quickly, using magic far beyond that of mortals, Farore warped trhe fabric of time and space, and in less than a second, her Champion of Courage was on the first pedestal of the Trials of Courage.

* * *

Link had blinked. And that was all it had taken for the Lost Woods to have changed to a place of darkness, with five pedestals that seemed to float on nothing.

_So much to do... So little time..._

Drawing his sword, the mythical Kokiri Sword, Link's instincts screamed for him to be prepared. In all of his years of existance, a relatively short twelve, he had learned never to be comfortable in a place where a voice was coming out of nowhere.

_The tides of darkness are coming. You, the first Seeker, have come to this place to earn your birthright._

The pedestal began rumbling. Shaking on wobbly feet, Link plunged his sword into the hard surface of the Trials, holding onto it to stop himself from being thrown off during this strange earthquake.

Or was it? Looking around the platform now, he saw three raised surfaces, and on each, three symbols of the Trials of his childhood.

_The Kokiri's Emerald, a gem of endless value, filled with the patience and strength of the forest. To earn this, you had to witness the death of your surrogate father, the Great Deku Tree. It was this crystal that led you to the Princess, however, and was the first step to your true self; the Hero of Time._

Staring at the crystal, Link's mind showed him the many challenges he'd had to face to earn the Emerald. Images of Mido, the self-proclaimed leader of the Kokiri taunting him. Entering the Deku Tree himself, after learning of the curse that the Great Tree had been inflicted by. Diving underwater as spikes rotate overhead. And killing the source of the curse herself. Queen Gohma, a creature of darkness, had eventually fallen to Link, but by then, it had been too late for the Deku Tree.

_The Goron's Ruby, the Spiritual Stone of Fire, filled with the fires of passion and speed that only flame possesses. The Gorons were saved by your actions within the Dodongo's Cavern, and you gained a Sworn Brother._

The final crystal, which shone a vivid blue, pulsed lightly as Link looked at it. Three actual gems made up the Spiritual Stone of Water, with an intricate molding of gold keeping the three joined.

_The Zora's Sapphire, or for you, the key to the heart of Princess Ruto. You saved her, and the patron god of the Zora's in order to obtain this gem. However, the destruction you saw to the Zoras only heralded the greater destruction that would soon occur to the entire country._

Looking down, Link stood up, pulling the Kokiri's Sword from the ground as he did. Expecting to see a hole in the ground, he was surprised to see the hole seal itself, leaving no indication it had been there.

_The experiences of your childhood have changed you, and even the world, forever. The damage Ganondorf inflicted upon Hyrule was felt by everyone. But, to you, there was one group who was hurt more than the others._

Nodding his head, Link's attention went back to the Goron's Ruby.

_Both times Ganondorf attacked the Gorons, he nearly wiped out their entire civilisation. _

Nodding, Link felt the embers of anger building in him. Ganondorf had nearly destroyed the entire world just to get his dream. He had hurt, and killed, immeasurable people along the way, and for that, Link could never forgive him.

_You have chosen the people, Link. In spite of losing your family, and losing your friends, you are most anger by losing an entire species of people. For this, you have passed the first Trial of Courage._

The Spiritual Stones abruptly disappeared as the pedestal shook again. Looking down at the ground, Link saw a picture that made his heart pang; Darunia, his Sworn Brother, the leader of the Gorons, and the Sage of Fire. Darunia almost looked real to him, he mused. A ringing sound filled the air, making Link look up. A blue portal of light had appeared in the middle of the pedestal. Knowing what they were, and feeling a sense of familiarity form it, he stepped into the circle. A crystal spread up to envelope Link; and within a few seconds, he had appeared on the second pedestal of the Trial, this one showing a picture of a strange bird, seemingly made of fire, with rainbows behind it.

* * *

Up in the Chamber of the Gods, Farore smiled, as gentle as a cloud, and as terrible as a storm. The Trials were underway, and everything was going exactly as the Gods wanted them to.  
The voice that had spoken to Link in the Trials spoke again, however, this was information that only the Gods were able to hear. From deep in the forest of New Island, Mew, exhausted from creating the Trials, awoke with a loud keen. Deep within the Farplane, Valefor retorted with a screech of rage of its own. Magnadramon let out a wail of despair, while Farore, the Goddess of Courage, trembled in fear.

_The Nobodies have awoken..._


	5. Chapter 4: The Queen of Hearts

Chapter Four  
The Queen of Hearts

_And though I know the world of real emotion has surrounded me,  
__I won't give into it.  
__Now I know that forward is the only way my heart can go.  
__I hear your voice calling out me;  
_'_You'll never be alone.'_

_real Emotion  
__By Jade from Sweetbox_

Staring passively at her surroundings, Kairi, formerly a Princess of Heart did not look surprised. On the contrary, she looked like she had seen this place before.

_The Second Trial of Love begins now._

A shimmer of magic clustered together at the centre of the platform. A picture of a silver bird, with small blue tags on its back and spikes on its tail roared up at her from its place on the pedestal. However, the magic that was being created stood above that picture, manifesting into the form of a boy Kairi had long forgotten.  
Her heart knew him though. It leaped into her throat as she looked at him, brown hair messed up, and in clothes far too small for him. He looked to be sleeping, and no matter how hard Kairi tried, she could not get close to him. An invisible force field separated the two, and in the end, Kairi slumped against it, trying to break open the barrier she couldn't see.

_The only thing keeping you and Sora separate is your heart Kairi. Open your heart, and then you will be reunited with the Protector of Power._

Staring at this boy, no, at Sora, Kairi smiled sadly. She didn't know why he was so important to her, only that she missed him terribly.  
Two years ago, she had been kidnapped from her world. All she could remember was wandering in darkness for ages, before coming to the light in a castle. But how did she get there? Kairi's memory failed her there, and right now, staring at Sora, she knew he had the answers.

_

* * *

The third Trials of Love have begun. Our first and second choices, Aerith Gainsborough and Phoebe Halliwell, have failed the Trials, and have been removed back to their home planets. The third candidate, Kairi Hart, is undertaking the Trials as we speak_. 

Nodding her head, Magnadramon, the Patron God of Love replied. The first voice seemed to pause momentarily, as if considering its answer.

_No, we have not summoned the fourth candidate. Should Kairi fail with her Trials, Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom will be summoned. Unless you wish it otherwise, of course._

Flicking her tail as she thought, Magnadramon considered the implications of having two Crest Seekers on the Trials at the same time. Her answer came soon after that.

_I see. I will summon the Princess immediately. Would you like the fifth Candidate present as well?_

Shaking her head, Magnadramon showed her opinion.

_As you wish._

The voice seemed to depart, leaving Magnadramon to oversee her Trials. The other two candidates had also failed here; Aerith had been unable to open her heart to Cloud, and Phoebe had been unable to open hers to Cole Turner. The two had spent far too long here, and had been removed as a result.  
Even from her lofty perch, Magnadramon could feel the emotions unfurling from Kairi's heart. Because of her age, Kairi had not yet had the time to lock her heart away from pain, and because of that, the platform Kairi was on pulse pink as the barrier around Sora went down. Rushing to embrace him, Magnadramon watch the stirrings of consciousness within the boy, but quickly moved Kairi to the third Trial just as Princess Peach arrived at the first.

* * *

Searching for Sora, Kairi gulped back her tears. Sora... She knew him, remembered him, and she had no idea how she could have forgotten him. He had been her best friend since they were little, he had saved her life, and she had loved him like no-one else could.  
Her focus was broken by the feeling of fabric around her hands. Bringing them up to eye level, she raised a confused eyebrow as she studied the new gloves that had appeared there. 

_The Papal Gloves..._

The voice whispered through the air, and instantly, Kairi knew that she was wearing the Papal Gloves. Moving her right, gloved hand through the air, she watched, or rather, felt, the glove move through something other than air.

_The Papal Gloves have the ability to absorb and diffuse any form of magic surrounding the wearer. They are made of pure magic, and as long as the bearer wears them, they will always be protected from any magic aimed their way._

A cloaked figure appeared at Kairi's feet. She could almost feel darkness rolling off of him, her, it? Crouching down, Kairi outstretched her hand, slightly wary of touching the person. And almost as if they could sense they were above someone, the Papal Gloves began to glow a pearly white that drifted slowly over the person. The darkness began receding, and giving a sigh of relief, the person disappeared from sight.

_The Papal Gloves allow you to remove the taint of the Heartless from a person's body, as well as being capable of healing any wound. By birthright, you are capable of wielding this weapon, as well as any privileges you would receive as Queen of Hearts._

"The Queen of Hearts?" Kairi asked, looking up at the endless black sky.

_Two years ago, your powers as a Princess of Heart were unlocked, allowing you and the other six princesses to unlock the way to Kingdom Hearts. As Queen of Hearts, you have become the leader of the Princesses of Heart, and can even bring a person back to life if they have become a Heartless. You performed that duty on Sora, after his death at Radiant Gardens._

Looking down, Kairi bit her lip. "I remember." She whispered.

_But now is not the time for that. To summon the Papal Gloves to your side, you need to collect all the feelings of love within your heart. Once you have done that, the Papal Gloves will appear for you._

Looking down at her hands, Kairi blinked in surprise as she realised the gloves were not there. Looking on the ground, as if expecting them to be there, she shook her head.

_Gather the feelings of love._..

Sighing, Kairi shut her eyes. Sora, Riku, her mother and father. The feelings of love, both platonic and emotional, surged through Kairi, rushing through her to collect in the palms of her hands. Opening her eyes, still caught in the thrall of love, she watched white wisps of magic, looking like a mist, twist around her hands, coming into a corporeal form as the Papal Gloves.  
Smiling in satisfaction, Kairi looked up at the blackness. "What now?"

_The element assigned to the Papal Gloves is Aether, the higher, purer air of the Gods. As the Lighter of Love, you will be able to control Aether, using it to heal wounds at its best, and at its worst, you can generate the Aether into a magical form, using it as a destructive weapon.  
__To do this, imagine a bolt of energy leave your hand._

Frowning, Kairi thrusted her hand forward, not expecting anything to happen. Seeing no crackle of energy, no bolt of lightning, she raised an eyebrow.

_Imagine it, and it will happen._

Sighing, Kairi threw out her other hand, visualising a pink ball of magic leaving her fist. As she did, it happened. A pink coloured ball of lightning split the air, journeying on until it seemed to hit a wall of blackness. Tearing a hole through it, the ball of energy continued on, eventually exploding outwards. As it moved outwards, the darkness fled from it, leaving an enormous space free of the darkness.

_Excellent. To use the powers of the Lighter of Love, just imagine. Your imagination is your most powerful weapon, use it, and you can accomplish anything._

_

* * *

_

_Princess Peach has failed the first Trial. We have summoned the fifth candidate, Serena Usagi, to attend the Trials._

It troubled Magnadramon that so many of the candidates, especially the ones most likely to defeat the Trials and win the Crest, were failing. The emotion of love was in an omnipresent state at all times in the Universe, and yet, so few people seemed to grasp it.  
Waving her forepaw at the viewing pool on the pedestal of the gods, Magnadramon summoned the information on Kairi.

_Name: Kairi Elizabeth Hart  
__Age: Sixteen  
__Alliance: Crest of Love Seeker:  
__Currently one of the seven Princesses of Heart, Kairi ascended to the level of Queen after the last closing of Kingdom Hearts. Since then, she has all but forgotten the boy she loves due tot he magical spells of her Nobody, Namine. Due to her time asa Princess of Heart, Love has becoming one of the leading forces in Kairi's life._

_Powers: The ability to, along with the other Princesses of Heart, openKingdom Hearts.  
__ All the powers and abilities given to the Queen of Hearts._

_Achievements:  
__Placed her heart within that of Sora's, the Keyblade Master.  
__Restored Sora to his body after he became a Heartless._

_Overall Ranking: 3rd_

_Overall Report:  
__Kairi is easily capable of handling the Crest of Love. She will not be able to use it instinctively, but she will bond with it faster than many. Her value comes from her altruism; she will often help those who need it without being asked. Similarly, her abilities as a Queen of Heart can prevent far more losses to the Crest Holders than any other person can. Physically, she poses no threat, but magically, she is one of the most powerful within this Universe._

Giving a sigh, Magnadramon dismissed the information. Unless Kairi passed the Trials of Love, they would have to rely on someone who may even reject the Crest of Love to carry it. For the fate of the Universe, indeed, for the fate of the Crest of Love, she hoped that would not come to pass.


	6. Chapter 5: Awakening

Chapter Five  
Awakening

Glancing up at the building in front of him, Sam Sapphire quirked his mouth, going over his strategy in his head. Since returning from Dictioy, Sam had made it a minor goal to beat the Red League; the Pokemon League that governed Southern Island. He had already won two of the four badges he needed, and today, he was aiming for his third.  
The Frostbite Gym, named for its dual specialty of Ice and Darkness, was commonly known as the toughest Pokemon Gym on Southern Island. And for that, Sam had bought along the three Pokemon he knew he'd have an advantage in using; Zeus; the fluffy cloud Pokemon, Hera, the small, blue-winged Polienix, and Angel, the small winged kitten of the Holipus species.  
Looking sidewards at Angel, Sam scowled back at Angel, her slitted eyes focused on him in a look of disgust. The Holy / Flying type was unusually fussy for her species, complaining if anything touched her without some kind of hospital grade disinfectant being added to it right away. In this case, Sam had 'accidentally' splashed her in a puddle, revenge for her attempts at giving him unwanted acupuncture.

"Ok Angel, you have two choices; in the Pokéball, or going invisible." Sam offered, holding out her Pokéball. Knowing that she'd sulk for a while, he didn't expect an answer, but when she turned invisible with a small 'Pop', he grinned.

Opening the door to the Gym, and feeling the small currents of wind being generated by Angel's wings, he looked around. Each gym tended to have a certain Trial that needed completing before the Gym Leader could be faced, in this gym was no exception. Before he could react, Sam felt his feet slip out from underneath him, and within a few seconds, he was sprawled on his back, looking at the ceiling and having to listen to Angel's cackles of mirth.

"Yeah yeah." He muttered, swatting in the general direction of Angel. Getting shakily to his feet, he glanced around, trying to peer through the darkness that this gym had introduced.

"Welcome to the Frostbite Gym, Trainer. You have five minutes to complete this trial and move onto the next room. Past this time, you will be teleported outside and unable to face the Gym Leader. Only one challenge can be made to complete the Trials per day. Your time begins now."

Blinking, Sam heard a shuffle as whoever it was moved away. Shaking his head, Sam wondered just how much this Gym relied on Beginner Trainers challenging it.  
Reaching down to his right, his fingers trailed over three spheres that were attached magnetically to his belt. Pulling on the first one, Sam enlarged it, releasing the creature it contained.

"Ok, Zeus, gimme a lift here."

Sam could almost feel Zeus's signature grin from where he was. Giving Zeus a few seconds to make himself capable of bearing Sam's weight, Sam walked forward, arms outstretched, until he felt the fluffy matter that Zeus was made off. Flattening his palms on top of it, Sam hoisted himself up onto the Thunderhead Pokemon, rearranging his skewed clothing when he was on Zeus properly.

"Ok, Angel, can you light this place up? Slowly, otherwise we'll be dazzled."

_"I am no newborn kitten, Samuel. I'm not stupid._" Angel retorted huffily. From where she was floating in the air, she focused energy into her wings. Because she was invisible, all that appeared was a white ball of light, apparently hovering in midair. Looking around the room with the newfound light, Sam spied a door, urging Zeus to head that way.

Looking down at the slippery ice as they travelled, Sam felt like he was cheating, just a little. He was mostly used to hard Trials that forbade the use of Pokemon, but here, there weren't any rules. Setting down on the patch of floor in front of the door, Sam looked around warily as he began sinking through Zeus's mass, eventually landing lightly on the ground.

"Thanks Zeus. Are you guys ready?"

The white orb of light that was Angel bobbed maniacally. Looking to Zeus, he nodded his body once. Reaching out a tendril of mist, he touched his Pokéball, bringing himself back into the temporary travel pod.  
Resting his hand on the door, Sam winded as the cold bit into his skin. Pushing down on the handle, Sam started a little as the door caught on the ground. Muttering, he wrenched it hard, opening it enough to just slip through.  
Looking up, plainly in surprise, the Gym Leader wondered how this young boy had gotten here this fast. Making a face, the seventeen year old boy felt a touch on his shoulder; Angel had decided to rest on it, it seemed.

"Not a newbie then." He heard the Gym Leader say, seemingly to herself. "Well done, Trainer. It'll be a knockout competition, the first to two knock-outs win. Acceptable?"

Nodding, Sam felt down at his belt again. On him right now, Zeus was his most powerful. But with Hera, they'd have a huge type advantage.

"Ok Hera, let's show this Gym how we did it in Dictioy!"

An explosion of red energy swarmed out of the Pokéball, manifesting into a small blue bird with a yellow beak and claws. Flapping her wings, she kept herself in midair, choosing to keep that advantage.

Reaching her arm up dramatically, the Gym Leader clicked her fingers. Instantly the lights dimmed. Waving his hand in front of his face; Sam frowned. '_Hera? Can you still see?_' He asked telepathically.

'_Yes. The girl is about to throw a Pokéball._'

'_You got it._' Looking forward at where he assumed the Gym Leader still was, he got rewarded with a blinding flash as the Gym Leader's Pokemon was chosen.

_'Hera, I can't see it. What does it look like_?' Sam sent. Squint as he might, he couldn't even see an outline of the opposing Pokemon.

'_Black fur, long claws._' Hera said, before dodging to the side with an angry shriek. Flapping herself up high above the arena, she lifted her head up, sending out a long beam of light that flooded the entire arena, lighting up Hera's target. Seeing Hera's opponent, Sam swallowed, suddenly nervous.

_'Be careful! It's a Sneasel, they're known for eat small birds and their eggs!_'

_'They eat _WHAT'

Apparently infuriated by this new information, Hera swooped down, performing a complex twist as she flew. Her Aerial Ace struck true, and with an ear-splitting scream, the Sneasel struck back, its claws glowing ominously.

"Ok Pickaxe, use Death's Scythe!"

Looking at the hidden Leader, Sam realised how much he was trying to rely on his eyes here. Shutting them, his ears instantly began working overdrive, picking up far more than they would normally. Pickaxe's claws split the air, cutting through soft material. Sam's eyes flickered open in alarm, and instantly he began straining again to see how Hera was.

'_I'm ok. He only got a few feathers._' Hera's voice entered Sam's mind. Calming down, Sam smiled, shutting his eyes again.

"Ok Hera, use Photon Swoop!'

Drawing in breath, all the light in the room, very little as it was, went out. The room went absolutely pitch black around Hera as she collected every speck of light within sight. The result was Hera's body began glowing, a golden colour edged in white. Sam's eyes sent frazzles of pain up to his mind as they were exposed to light after such a blanketing darkness. Pickaxe let his own yell of pain, covering his eyes with his claws. At last, Hera was ready, and with a song that rained down on the Pokemon below, she swooped, hitting Pickaxe with deadly aim. She wasn't done though, as she wheeled around again, hitting the disorientated Pokemon a second time. Turning one last time, she opened her mouth, and a beam of pure light engulfed the Sneasel, lifting into the air, his body succumbing to the overriding light. Now at the tip of his flight, an explosion sounded out, and when the smoke had cleared, the darkness was back, but Sam was absolutely sure that Pickaxe had been knocked out.  
The lights turned on slightly, displaying just enough light to show the ravaged battlefield below. A dark form lay on the ground, while a panting bird landed, her wings and head drooping.

"Pickaxe the Sneasel has been knocked out. Victory one goes to the challenger!" A voice called out, echoing around the icy room.

Returning her Pokemon, the Gym Leader scowled. "Ok, fine. Come out Pandora!"

The lights dimmed instantly. The standard explosion of red happened, and as before, Sam couldn't see. Reaching up his hand, Hera's Pokéball still in it, Sam let out a yell, letting Hera know she was being returned to the red and white sphere.  
Feeling over Zeus's Pokéball again, Sam threw it into the fray. Zeus would be as blind as he was, but he made up for that by being able to attack the whole field if he wanted.  
And Zeus was in prime battle mode. Small bolts of lightning dripped out from under him, while streamers of the stuff rippled across his cloudy surface. Giving a grin, Sam pointed upwards, forgetting he wouldn't be seen. The action jostled the Holipus on his shoulder, who gave an opposing growl.

"Zeus, let's rain on their parade!"

Taking the hint, Sam hoped, Zeus hovered up until he was against the ceiling. Collecting water from the icy surfaces around him, Zeus built it up, until he let loose, coating the whole field with chilling rain. Angel let out another indignant squawk as some of the rain pelted her, while Sam covered a grin.

This was an old strategy of Sam's and Zeus's, and Zeus took the initiative on his next action. His whole body rumbled, and with a flash of light, he electrocuted the whole arena, keeping it within the set square. Sam had closed his eyes in preparation for this but he could see the whiteness from behind his eyelids. A crack of thunder split the air, making the whole room shake. Whatever had been on the field would have been hurt, badly, at the very least.  
This didn't seem to be the case, however. Zeus began glowing bright enough to show the whole battle when a large boulder came barrelling at him. Raising his eyebrow, Zeus simply let the rock go through his cloudy surface. Venturing down, and using Zeus's light, Sam saw what they were facing.

Adapis were rare Pokemon that had the ability to transform, much like Mew or Ditto. However, their unique little trait meant they would only change their types, and it varied with their mood. An angry Adapis might be a fire type, while a sad one may be water.  
But from what Sam could see right now, this one was a Rock or Ground type, something that would have easily withstood the powerful blast of lightning Zeus had let out then. However, Sam still had the advantage here.

"Zeus, use Cyclone!"

Whipping the winds around the room, Zeus created a small funnel of air that spun in the middle of the room. The Adapis looked unwavered at this, and began stomping towards Zeus, mud forming in its hands as it prepared another attack. Zeus waited patiently, much like a Spinerak would wait for a Venonat, and once the Adapis was within the cyclone, he added water to the equation. Raining down on the cyclone, the spinning funnel of air swept all the water Zeus released into it, washing the mud out of Pandora's hands and buffering the Adaptation Pokemon. This attack was doing damage, Sam could easily tell, but nowhere near enough.  
Jumping the air, the Adapis, amazingly light for being a rock, tried swiping at the cloud Pokemon hovering above it. Loosing its footing, it was swept up into the cone and began spinning with the water.

"Zeus, change that Cyclone into a Typhoon!"

Sam could almost hear Zeus chuckle. Instantly, the temperature in the room dropped even lower .Sam could hear the whir of machinery as the Gym's defensive measures were activated, an invisible wall of psychic energy were erected between the Pokemon battling and the Trainers.  
Spreading himself as far out over the field as he could, Zeus le tout the last of his rain, calling on ever last reserve of water he had access to. The ice shuddered and melted as Zeus called it up, and by the time he was done, the field was underwater by about a metre.  
Now Zeus did the opposite of what he had done before. Breathing in deeply, he blew a gust of frigid air that froze the water. The Adapis, having fallen to the ground when the Cyclone had disappeared, was now trapped within the ice.  
And now came the lightning. Crackling with energy, Zeus's body began glowing, hotter and hotter as he gathered the energy he needed. While he was charging, he sent out a thin bolt of lightning, using its white hot edge to cut the Adapis from the ice. The wind, still moving from the cyclone, began batting the Pokemon around like a cat would a toy, slamming it into the walls of the arena, and then died altogether. Zeus was now ready, and with one grin directed at the Gym Leader, Zeus seemed to explode, three incredibly heavy bolts of lightning striking out and hitting Pandora. Giving a cheer as the opponent's Pokemon disappeared under the glow of the lightning, Sam abruptly stopped, covering his ears.

Looking across the field at her opponent, the Gym Leader frowned. "What's wro-?'

Her answer was cut off as the thunder followed the lightning. Even with his ears plugged, Sam's ears ached beyond anything, the ground vibrating under his feet for a good ten seconds. Once it was done, he cracked open an eye, looking at the field.  
A deep hole in the ground had settled where the lightning struck, its edges outlined in black. The walls separating the battle and the viewers lowered immediately as the Gym Leader rushed onto the field to search for her fallen Pokemon. Stepping over the line of the field himself, Sam wandered over to where Zeus was, who looked like a very thin fog right now.

"You right mate?"

Panting, Zeus shuddered his body, his equivalent of a nod. Giving a smile to the pooped-out Pokemon, Sam held up the Ultraball he had captured Zeus in, returning him to his capsule.

"I think I won." Sam said plainly, looking over at the Gym Leader, who was hugging the fluid body of her Adapis. Giving a frown, she dug into her pocket, flipping a blue and black badge to Sam.

"Cool, thanks." He said simply. Heading to the door, he looked back. "You might want to get your Adapis checked out; Typhoon isn't a fun attack to withstand." Not waiting for an answer, he left, leaving the too cold Gym and its leader.

Once outside the Gym, he looked around, letting out a tired sigh. He knew that Zeus was the one who was the most tired out of either of them, but Sam was as well. It was at that point a strange nagging began at the edge of his mind. Frowning, he turned, just in time to see a small creature, completely black, leap out at him, claws aimed to scratch.  
Giving a yell of surprise, Sam flinched, raising his hands to protect his face. What he wasn't expecting was the flare of blue energy as the creature collided with a blue shield that sprang into existence around Sam, protecting him from harm. Peeking over his upraised arms, Sam looked at the creature in surprise, it was now pacing around his shield, scratching like a Growlithe trying to get in. Looking down at his hands, and then at Angel, who was still perched on his shoulder, he frowned.

"Did you do that?"

It was a simple question, once that was answered with Angel becoming visible, looking as confused as Sam felt. "It wasn't me Sam."

"Um, ok." He said, plainly lost for words. "Maybe if we disappear, it'll go away?"

"What do you mean disap-?"

Not waiting for the rest of the sentence, Sam gathered his psychic energy, teleporting himself and his flying kitten back home. See now wall of blue fire, Sam smirked. "Well, that was weird, but it's gone now. That's a good thing, right?"

Giving a shrug, Angel took off, heading indoors through an open window. The sounds of hissing and spitting soon followed, when he heard his younger sister crying out "Kitty!"

Laughing, Sam opened the front door, intent on relaxing. A bath for Zeus sounded good, get him some energy. Giving a shrug, he moved off to get to the bathroom, passing a glaring Holipus in the arms of an eight-year old. Not making eye contact, Sam moved off, leaving Angel to deal with her own problems.


	7. Chapter 6: Dream of the Fayth

Chapter Six  
Dream of the Fayth

Looking down at the endless seas that lay on the world of Spira, Bahamut felt a spark of love and affection for the world his power had helped to create. While the seas only ended at the one landmass that was Spira itself, there was enough variety in the Spiran continent to keep everyone occupied.  
Each of the Spiran Gods, creators of the Universe in their own right, were magically and physically attached to this world in some way. To Shiva, the ice and cold of Macalania and Mt Gagazet were the places she called home. For Ifrit, the powerful fiend of Fire, the realms of Kilika Island and Bikanel Island were his. The skies were home to Valefor's power, But for Bahamut, his power lay all over Spira, invested within the homes of its people.  
Unfortunately for Bahamut, he was spending far too little time here for his own tastes. He was back in his world, but it wasn't for pleasure. The last two Crest Holders were here, but because of what fate had dictated, this world had blocked the magical call. The Crest Holders had all been awakened, but there was the small matter of bringing them all together. They each had the power to move worlds if they ever had to, but they couldn't move through space.  
Other than one. One of the Primary Crests, the Crest of Friendship, had the power to created bridges that could span the empty recesses of space. The World Highways hadn't been activated in over 10,000 years, but the time had come to put them to use again.

Giving a draconian sigh, Bahamut swept down, his majestic form deflecting the light of Spira's sun. Moving the light away from his form magically, he shimmered out of sight, his body turning utterly invisible. This way, he didn't cause panic within Spira's citizens. It had been five years since Yu Yevon had been defeated by the power of the Spiran Gods, but even now, in the time period known as the Eternal Calm, the people still feared his return.  
Performing a tumbleturn, the King of Dragons landed heavily on his clawed feet, the curved half-moons digging into the carved stone of Remiem Temple. The temple was home to one of the five lesser Gods of Spira, one of the ones strictly bound to Spira itself. They hadn't been there for the creation of the Universe, and their power didn't extend past the world borders.  
But this wasn't a social call. This was a temple that belonged to the bloody past of Spira, and for them, it was better left forgotten.  
Bahamut's form warped and changed, turning into a young boy. Shrugging his shoulders as he got used to his new body, Bahamut winced. It was always uncomfortable in a new body, for the first few minutes anyway. Venturing up the steps that led into the temple, Bahamut's thoughts were broken by one of the sisters who lived in the temple.

_This is our domain Dragon. Why is one of the Creators deigning to visit us in this, the Temple of Blood?_

Giving a decidedly human snort, Bahamut stopped at the centre of the temple.

_This world was created for you and the people who made you as you are, Ladybird, and as such, this Temple belongs to me and my brethren. It was been designated to you so that you and your sisters may guard the Signal._

That caught their attention. Three flowers, one red, one blue, and one yellow, appeared in a triangular formation around the God of Men of the Universe. Exploding outwards in a shower of petals, forming into the figures of three women.

_The Signal?_

Heaving a sigh in his human body, Bahamut shook his head.

_The Crest Holders have been called, Sisters. The Forger of Friendship does not yet have the knowledge to Forge the World Highways. In order to bring the Crest Holders together, we must send out a temporary Signal._

The Goddesses betrayed no emotion on their faces. To Bahamut, however, their emotions must have been detectable from the far reaches of the Digital World.

_We see._

The air around the temple, previously still, began a small movement around the holy beings that were centred in the temple. The wind streamed from the Chamber of the Fayth, streamed from the depths of the Farplane itself. Outside the Remiem Temple, lightning snapped, and a downpour flooded into the temple. The roof, while covering most of the temple, had small slits that let the water come through. Around the edges of the stone floor, a circlular pit slowl filled with water. When it reached the edge of the stone pedestal, the rain stopped, and the water swirled around, spun by the wind that came from the Farplane.  
Outside the temple, a tremor within the Earth had a disasterous effect on the rocky spires that littered the outside of the temple. The larger ones fell, slamming into the cliffs that held the temple up, knocking away large boulders that had covered three strange runes, each in the colour of the three sisters. In response to the sunlight that now shone on their faces, the runes collected the energy, projecting it outwards into three beams that slammed into the walls of the temple, shattering them to punch through and collect in a ball of energy directly above Bahamut. Stretching a hand upwards, a faint claw seeming to be visible around it, Bahamut directed the energy upwards and out, projecting the energy through the roof of the temple. Higher and higher it stretched upwards, a solid column of light that stretched out into space. On and on it went, until it split into four beams, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and headed off in different directions.  
As the beam shot into seperate directions, they encountered a seemingly invisible barrier. The energy pooled against the wall, acting more like liquid than anything. However, the beams, which had easily crushed the walls of Remiem Temple soon performed the same action against the World Walls. Within a few seconds, the walls shattered, and the physical pieces of it began raining down on the planets they had protected.

Looking out of his window, Sam Sapphire frowned. There had been no reports of a meteor shower for tonight, but one seemed to be happening. Multicoloured balls of light shimmered as thye fell from the sky, scattering around everywhere. Watching one fall into the street in front of him, he witnessed it simply bounce harmlessly off the road, coming to rest in the front yard. Coming up beside him, a larger form, Nick Stone, joined in Sam's frowning as he took in the sight of the meteor shower.

"Wha-?" He began, but was cut off by Sam holding a hand up.

"I don't know. They aren't meteors, that one is obvious." Sam muttered, more to hmself than anything.

Back on Spira, Bahamut looked up at the ball of energy glowing above his head, a smile breaking the features of his young body.

_The Signal has been sent. The World Walls have fallen, and the Primary Worlds are open to the Heartless.  
__It has started, brothers and sisters._


	8. Chapter 7: Downfall of the Pokemon World

Chapter Six  
Downfall of the Pokemon World

_You hear a voice that's calling;  
__It's telling you to make a change.  
__It's time to fly, and say 'Goodbye';  
__Move on to a better place._

_I know you've gotta take the first step  
__To get to where you wanna be.  
__Just get on track, and don't look back;  
__'Cause it's the only way that you're gonna be free._

_Hold On  
__BWitched_

The ground trembled ominously. Looking up from the book he had been reading, Sam arched an eyebrow at the shaking walls. He had been through earthquakes before, sure, but this was the fifth in a line of small shakes that wracked Southern Island over the past few days; ever since the strange meteor showed that had, in a weird twist, not had a meteor in sight, but strange, soft pieces of a substance nobody knew. Sam himself had found at least three, well, not so much 'found' as 'tripped over'. The meteor shower, while also spreading into Hoenn, had been mostly centralised within the Southern Island area. Additional showers had also happened in Metone, the great southern continent of the world, Kanto and Janera.  
The quakes hadn't actually done anything yet. They were nowhere near strong enough to destroy housing, but they were powerful enough to take down paintings, knock things over and affect the TV reception.  
Oh, and the family's pet Growlithe hadn't shut up for days.

The trembling abruptly stopped, and with an eye cocked on the walls, Sam returned to his book. With a buzzing noise, the TV, which had been on in the background, resumed its programs. Right now it was in the middle of 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Squirtles', smething Sam had no interest in. Without taking his eyes off of his book, he flicked his fingers, changing the channel telekinetically. 'Psyduck Tales'? Nope. 'Humphrey U Ursuring'? Nope. 'The Mighty Morphin' Poke-Rangers'? Definitely not, even though Sam had loved the show growing up. Looking up at the TV, Sam quirked his mouth, wondering how here could be nothing on. When he passed by a channel playing the news, a picture popped up in the second he was on the channel, making Sam freeze and backtrack to it.

'_-new Pokemon. These Pokemon, which are currently unnamed, have appeared worldwide, despite having not been seen before. Attempts to capture these Pokemon have proved futile, with Pokeballs only seeming to be absorbed into their bodies._" Giving the viewers a grin, the news announcer seemed to be amused by this, the small window that contained a picture of what Sam _knew_ was a Heartless changed into an odd little piece of jewellry. _'In other news, Silph Co has developed a new kind of Pokemon Translator that can translate Pokemon _smells!_ This item, in the form of a nose stud-'_

Switching the channel off, Sam fought down the feelings of panic that were bubbling inside him. It hadn't been a dream then, or if it had, it had been a prophetic one, a kind Sam had never had before. He doubted it had been prophetic, however. The psychic abilities of psychometry and premonitions weren't passed down in the Sapphire family. Shuffling his sleeve up, Sam exposed the newest little device he had gotten for his birthday from his family, his Poketch. He had gotten it to replaced both of his broken PokeNavs, which had taken quite a beating during Sam's final days in Dictioy. But all the upgrades cards in his PokeNavs had survived. Right now it said the time was 12:16pm, whihc meant a majority of the Pokemon in the household would be asleep by now. Most of his family were out doing the grocery shopping, while Nick was currently at Rayquaza City, challenging the Gym there. Biting down on a nail, Sam worried.

Seers and Premonitions weren't exactly common among the human population of the world. Sam had no idea what his dream had meant when he first had it, but then again, he had always had random dreams filled with things that had no connection to each other, as dreams tended to do. Giving a sigh, Sam got up, heading for the kitchen. He was getting hungry, and biting his nails didn't accomplish anything to keep that sated.

* * *

Within the tall grass of his home island, Mew looked into a pond that was tucked away in one of the corners of the landmass. Waving its small paw, it called up images of the Forger of Friendship. The Heartless had been quick to invade this world when the World Walls had been shattered, but then again, Mew had expected no less. The Pokemon World was one of the five primary worlds, one of the first five worlds to have been created after the start of the universe itself. That meant the Heart of the World was incredibly powerful, any Heartless taking it could easily be transformed into a Lv 100 Heartless, no, a Behemoth, at the very least, Mew corrected itself quickly.  
The island he resided on, Faraway Island, had been removed from the normal world, by the power of Mew several eons ago, for tow purposes. For one, it was Mew's home, and he did love it dearly. The second being that the island held one of the most important things on the Pokemon World; its Keyhole, the portal that led to the Heart of the World.

Giving a sigh, Mew floated upwards, above the island. If he wanted to save the Universe, the Pokemon World had to be destroyed. It was the only way the Forger would be able to enter Spira, unless he somehow discovered the power of the World Highways. Even then, he did not know about the other Worlds, and would be unable to create the Highways.  
Raising its arms up, Mew felt the protections around his island as a physical presense. Inching his powers under the rim of the shiel, he lifted, and as one, all the Heartless in the world, frm Johto to Hoenn, from Southern Island to Oore, turned to face Faraway Island. With the knowledge that he had just doomed his world to the neverending darkness of the Kingdom Hearts, Mew fled the world, entering the Chamber of the Gods. His powers told him that the other Gods of the Pokemon World; Lugia, Ho oh, Groudon, Kyogre, the many powerful legendaries around the world, called up their own power, leaving the Pokemon World to head for other worlds. In response, the Pokemon World, its protective deities gone, was left defenseless to both the Heartless and the ravages and furies of the natural world.

* * *

Eyes widened, Sam looked skywards. For some reason, it felt like something was intensely wrong with the world. It felt like something; he didn't know what, but something was missing. The world seemed less potent, less powerful, and judging by the keening wail from inside the house, his Pokemon had noticed the same thing.  
Sam had given up on trying to read inside. The tremors had continued, and were steadily getting worse. _'Groudon must be tossing and turning in his sleep._' Sam thought grimly. It was commonly acknowledged that Groudon lived within Hoenn, and as such, was close enough to affect Southern Island as well. The rustling of grass caught Sam's attention, making him turn his head. Abrupt reflexes made him teleport away as dark claws flashed, goughing narrow strips of wood out of the Oak tree he had been leaning against. Now that he was further away, he could easily study the creature who had tried attacking him.  
His mind told him that it was a Heartless, but this one was very different from the ones he had had to fight in his dream. The dream ones had had small, squat bodies, with dark streams coming from their heads. This one looked like the older brother of the ones Sam had fought. They looked the same, except this one was more stretched out, much taller, and seemed a bit muscular.

Putting his fingers in his mouth, Sam let out a piercing whistle, this one a different tune from the one that had called Zeus to him. This was just an abrupt whistle that would call all of his Pokemon to him.  
And they came quickly. Hearing the shatter of breaking glass, Sam knew they had broken his window to get to him. Leto the Eevee was the first around the corner, dashing past Sam to ram into the Heartless. Recovering quickly, Leto backed away slowly, letting the stronger Pokemon let loose. A torrent of icy water shot over the head of Leto, blasting the Heartless into the fence around the Sapphire's property. Several volts of lightning swarmed around the water, add electricity into the mix as both Zeus and Helious, the Flaaffy, used their own special attacks. Hera swooped up above the Heartless, flapping her wings, and then swung them as if cutting the air above the Heartless. A visible wave of energy followed her wings, wavering through the air to collide with the Heartless. A tiny ball of yellow and green fur yipped, sending out a tiny stream of lightning to join Zeus's and Helious's. Hermes, the brother of Leto, was still a little too young to do much damage, but he played his part as well. Angel the Holipus began glowing with an intense light, and within a few seconds, turned into a yellow streak as she used 'Divine Judgement', a Holy type attack. A similar, red streak paired up with Angel as Indy performed 'Extreme Speed', and the two Pokemon tackled the Heartless simultaneously. This seemed to have been enough for the Heartless as it gave a silent scream and vanished in a collection of purple orbs.  
Giving a grateful sigh, Sam sat down, his knees trembling beneath him. The collection of Pokemon instantly reacted, coming over to see if their Trainer or Master was fine. Indy, while not Sam's, was Sam's Pokemon to take care of while he was at home. Even now, he had a lot of love and affection for his old master.

"I'm fine guys. I'm ok." Sam whispered, stroking Leto gently. The small brown and white fox, her fur sharply angled as a result of her father; a Manetric, leapt into Sam's lap, giving him a lick up the face.

"_That wasn't a Pokemon_." Artemis commented lightly. "_That wasn't anything of this world._"

"That was a Heartless." Sam replied. His mind seemed distant while his mouth rambled on. "I dunno where they come from, but that's what it's called; a Heartless."

"_Old friend?_" Hera asked, swooping down to land on top of Artemis's head. Once then, she began preening herself. Below, Artemis went crosseyed as his eyes attempted to focus on Hera's tail, which was currently on his nose.

"Not exactly." Sam responded. Opening his mouth, he attempted to continue, but was thrown up in the air and backwards as the promised earthquake finally hit. Pain surged through his body as he flew through the air, but instinct lashed out, his mind spread out, engulfing all of his Pokemon and lifted them into the air. Slamming into the wall of his house, he let out a gasp of pain as the brick scraped his back. With his mind off of his focus, the Pokemon, and Sam, slipped. Catching them less than an inch of the ground, he hovered them up higher, taking stock of their situation when he blinked the tears of pain from his eyes.  
Artemis seemed to be fine. In fact, he had been cackling with laughter since the earthquake hit, apprarently immune to its power due to being a ground type. Zeus was fine, he floated normally anyway, as did Hera and Angel. If anything, it was Helious, Indy, Leto and Hermes who benefited the most from Sam's help. Releasing Hera, Zeus and Artemis from his mental grip, he sighed with relief. Drifting over, Zeus arranged himself until he was below Sam and Leto, the Eevee having been thrown along with Sam. Dropping himself into the solidified cloud, he froze as he heard a violent cracking and groan behind him. Turning slightly, he watched as his childhood home collapsed under the stress of the earth tremors. He was calmer than he expected he would be, it seemed the series of unfortunate events had left him little room to be shocked. Instead, he gave a sigh of annoyance, outstretching his hands and snapping his fingers, summoning his, Nick's and Ani's Trainer Packs to his side. He thanked Mew that he had gone shopping and restocked his pack a few weeks ago. Nick and Ani on the other hand, he had no idea about.

"Ok Zeus, we need to get downtown. Let's go." Sam yelled above the noise of the earth. Looking behind him, Sam blanched as he realised he had almost left his Pokemon behind. His hand reached down, touching five of the seven Pokeballs on his belt, returning the majority of his team to their Pokeballs. At the same time, he reached out, bringing Indy the Growlithe onto his lap. "Good to go."

Giving a shudder, Zeus set off, trusting Sam to find a way to hold on. Being a cloud, he could summon speed when he needed by riding the winds, which were in excess now with all the crumbling buildings. Grabbing a hold of one of the thunderhead type's fluffy curls, his other keeping a hold on the wriggling Growlithe.  
Rolling and pitching as the wind buffeted him around, Zeus gave the equivelent of a frown when he saw the destruction of the localised earthquake. Dodging around a church spire, hearing a ripping sound as something on his back caught on it and tore, Zeus kept going ahead. He had heard Fiona, Sam's mother, saying they were heading for the mall, which Zeus knew the location of. It was a good place for food, having a fountain in the middle of it. He had been chased out a few times, the first with a broom, the second with a vacuum cleaner, Zeus was more afriad of the latter than the first, Zeus collected his cloudy mass into a narrow strip, lowering his wind resistance.

Sam had long since closed his eyes, simply trying to maintain his hold on Zeus. The speed they were going at made Sam felt like his organs had been left about five miles back, but he knew it was a neccesity. It was the stop he wasn't prepared for. The first sign Sam got that they had stopped was the sudden absense of Zeus beneath him. Flying through the air, Sam let out a yell when he was caught barely an inch from the rippling ground. Within seconds, a combination of pink and purple energy had Sam protected from the power of the Earthquake as Ani and Manessah used their powers to summon Sam to them.

* * *

Looking down on the planet they had abandoned, Mew, Celebi and Jirachi watched with a muted silence as the planet tore itself apart. Without its elemental protectors, the legendary Pokemon, there were no forces to keep the fury of Mother Nature in check. Waving its paw across the seeing pool in the Chamber of the Gods, Mew called up a vision of Metone, the great Southern Continent that played home to Alara, the meeting place of the legendary Pokemon of the world. A great sandstone, it also played host to the greatest treasure in the Pokemon World; the World Keyhole, and in turn, the World's Heart.  
Even now Heartless were approaching at impossible speeds to be the first to take the world's heart. The resulting Heartless would be incredibly powerful, but Mew and the other Gods had banked on the Forger of Friendship being powerful enough to destroy it. Watching the Heartless race across the sands of the Metonian Central Desert, Mew turned its head to catch the eyes of Celebi and Jirachi. Giving a silent call, it pointed its paw at the distant sandstone, joined quickly by Celebi's leafy hand and Jirachi's silver one. Beams of power shot from their finger tips to collide above Alara, and in its wake, a keyhole shape appeared above the rock. This seemed to infuriate the Heartless even more, as the moved even faster than before.  
Looking around, a nervous, fluttery feeling collected in Sam's stomach. Nick was meant to have been here a few minutes ago. The earthquake hadn't disappeared, if anything, it had gotten worse, and that made Sam worry.  
A shrill whistle made Sam almost snap his neck as he turned. A grin of relief spread over his face as he spied Nick, levitating in the air with his psychic Butterfree hovering behind him. A violent cracking split the air, and a particularly bad shudder racked the earth. Gulping, Sam turned back to Nick, beckoning him into the protective bubble that Ani and Manessah were holding above the ground. Nick's Butterfree seemed to comply, and once its owner was in the bubble, it returned itself to is Pokeball.

"Hi Sam, interesting weather we're having." Nick said, a strained note of cheerfulness coming through his voice. Rolling his eyes, Sam nudged over Nick's Trainer Pack. Picking it up with a sigh of relief, Nick winked at Sam. "Nice sunset."

Looking in the direction of the sun, Sam frowned. Sunset wasn't for hours yet, but the sun was approaching the horizon already. It looked strange as well; a curious red that looked like it was dying.  
As if on a signal, the earth stopped as the sun dipped below the horizon. Looking down at the suddenly dark land, Sam's sense of fright increased. "Guys, what's going on?"

The ground had transformed into a strange mass of purple, flowing energy. Around them, houses sunk into the goop, turning into energy themselves. A strand of the stuff shot out of the ground to curl around the bubble. Beside him, Ani and Manessah let out screams as their power as attacked. More and more tentacles came to the aid of the first one, pulling the bubble to where the ground was.

"Oh, we're screwed. We are definitely screwed." Nick muttered fervently.

_Grip the ties of friendship_.

Looking around, Sam tried to pinpoint where the voice was coming from. It was the same voice from his dream.

_Call on your friends!_

Giving a shrug, Sam held out his hands. It had worked once, and it had gotten rid of the Heartless. Maybe his dream could help him again.

Pictures flashed through his mind. Images of Nick and Katrina laughing, Artemis playing tricks on Brendan, Zeus and Electra arguing. The visions surged through Sam's mind at his command, a familiar tugging on his heart becoming the result. The tug grew, leaving Sam breathless. Just as he thought he couldn't hold the feeling any longer, the sensation of polished wood filled his hand. Opening his eyes, he looked with wonder at the staff that he held.

_Nirvana..._

The name whispered through the air. With the staff in his hand, Sam smiled, suddenly not afraid of the shadows.

The bubble they were in was now half-submerged. The darkness pounded as it tried to make its way into the bubble to the people inside of it. Raising his staff, and nearly knocking Nick out with it, Sam willed something to happen.  
And sensing its master's need, something did happen. A brilliant light shone from the staff, loosing itself as a wave that spread past the bubble, striking at the darkness. Successive waves shot out, and before long, the bubble was gently resting on a patch of ground. The intermingled colours of pink and purple faded as Ani and Manessah let the shield go. Looking around this small sanctuary, Sam quirked his mouth.

"Ok, Sam, it's a very pretty thing, but where did you get it?" Nick said simply, pointing at Nirvana. Positioning it so that the butt-end of the pole was on the ground, Sam looked it up and down.

The furthest end was capped in a golden metal, a small, tiny bubble on top of a much larger bubble that had the pole coming out of it. The wooden staff seemed to be made out of oak, a smooth, polished surface that held no chances for splinters. At the top, an elaborate working of metal, with tiny tassles of blue string hanging off of the edges completed the staff.

"Um... Ebay?" Sam retorted. A stunned silence followed, after which Nick chuckled.

"Ok, I'm giving you that on- eh?"

The ground started to churn again. But this was different from the waves of an earthquake. This was more of a rumble. Before Sam, his shadow stretched out, apparently from nowhere since there wasn't a light source. As it stretched further and wider, Sam's eyes widened themselves as his shadow moved above the ground, becoming a giant Heartless.

_The primary power of the Forger is that of a Summoner. Using your Crest, you can call friends and allies to your side at any moment._

The voice seemed to speak again, but Sam knew it was his memory filling in the blanks. His Trials had prepared him as a Summoner, and it had been there that he had summoned his first ally. Raising Nirvana up again, Sam stepped forward, angling to stave towards the creature.

"ARTICUNO!"

Nirvana began to glow again, this time a sapphire blue. The wood shifted and changed under Sam's hands, warping and comforming until it became the legendary Titan of Ice, Articuno. Giving a screech, Articuno stood high, its wings outstretched. It looked to the Heartless with a cool and emotionless eye, as if sizing up its target. Furling its wings, it stood at attention, facing its opponent.

"Holy cr-"

"Articuno! Ice beam!" Sam quickly said, cutting Nick off before the impressionable younger siblings could hear the rest of that sentence. Hearing Sam, Articuno nodded, and then took off into the air, gaining altitude until it wheeled aorund, shooting a beam of pure cold at the Heartless. It hit square on, trapping some of the creature within a thick block of ice.

_The elemental alignment of the Crest of Friendship is Water. To use this element, hold out your hand and think of the element, and will it to come out of you._

Holding up his left hand, Sam narrowed his eyes. This had required more concentration than summoning, but he had achieved it. Thinking of the tides that regularly beat against Southern Island's shores, of the Great Dictian River, in Dictioy, and the Lake of Tears, he willed water to come to his aid.  
Before, in the Trials, it had come out as a physical sphere of water. This time it changed form. Above them, rain clouds formed, and at once, shed their load of rain, drenching the group with icy water. Taking advantage of its foe being wet, Articuno let loose another blast of ice, again freezing it.  
At that point, a strange vibration filled Sam. Looking down at his suddenly shaking hand, he blinked, and then flew backwards as the Heartless exploded in a way of power, shattering the ice and sending Sam back towards the Heartless energy that had engulfed the rest of the planet. A pink bubble blocked Sam's passage, making Sam bounce harmlessly off of it and onto the dirt. Looking up again, Sam winced. Articuno had continued its assault, but the Heartless had begun fighting back. Balls of black came out of its hands, some hitting the wheeling and dodging ice bird, while the others flew past to land harmlessly in the warped landscape.

The vibrations came back again, but these ones seemed to be coming from a different direction. Looking skywards, Sam saw a ball of red, purple and black energy hovering above the curve of the earth, sucking and pulling everything towards it. Getting to his feet, Sam dove into the crowd that was his family, pulling them close with his powers. Articuno, noticing the same thing Sam had, shot downwards, turning back into Nirvana as it did. Stretching out his hand, Sam caught the falling staff, and as he did, a field of blue energy spread out, surrounding the group of people. Spinning, twisting and turning, though Sam didn't know how he knew, the bubble around them warped, steadily glowing more brightly. Pulsing and throbbing, the bubble suddenly flashed out of existance.  
Looking outside of the bubble, Sam frowned. The desecrated landscape had been replaced by a field of darkness, this one a natural kind. Stars peppered the skies, and with a lurch, Sam realised they were moving at a very high speed.

"Well, this is interesting." Nick said quietly, looking around them. "Not sure if I prefer this or our place."

"Next question; how are we still breathing?" Ani asked, looking at the back of Sam's head.

WIthout turning around, Sam knew they were all looking at him. Giving a shrug, he looked at his new little staff. "Don't ask me. Ask this thing."

"I would, but I bet its repsonses may be a little wooden." Nick returned, rather dryly.

_

* * *

_

The Pokemon World has been destroyed, and the World Saver Project has been initiated. THe Forger, as well as those close to him, are headed towards Spira, wrapped in the power of the Crest Weapon. They should arrive within minutes.

Looking down at the seeing pool, Mew fought back a feeling of sadness, agony and happiness. The Pokemon World, the centre of his power, was gone. All the powers of creation, and it had disappeared within the course of a few hours.  
At that moment, the pool slowly dried up. Recognising the arrival of the owner of the voice who had spoken to each of the Crest Holders in turn, and who had reported the circumstances of the Universe to the Gods, Mew floated gently to the ground, landing lightly upon the tips of his long feet.  
Sparks of purple energy floated out of the nothingness that surrounded the Chamber of the Gods coming together over the space where the Pool of Seeing had once been. A tall, being stood there, its eyes calming surveying the three Gods that stood before it.

Mewtwo, once, he wa ssimply a clone of Mew. He had inherited all of Mew's God-like abilities, and had even more power than his predecessor. If it had only been Mew in his way, he could have easily taken over the Universe.  
However, what Mewtwo hadn't taken account for were the other Gods.  
Knowing he had been outpowered, Mewtwo had instead volunteered to help the Gods out. In exchange, he was granted omnipotence and the full spectrum of human emotions; something his creators had been unable to do.  
Meeting his clone's eyes, Mew conveyed a silent message of sympathy. Mewtwo would have bene far more upset baout the destruction of the Pokemon world than he would have; a result of his having greater powers than Mew.  
At that moment, Bahamut entered the Chamber. His draconian bulk filled his pedestal, but quickly changed as he reverted to his child-like form.

_Hyrule has been destroyed._ He said simply, leaving the implications to the rest of his brethren. _They did it as the Pokemon World was destroyed, to hide their tracks._

_And the Crest Holders?_

_Safe. Farore returned to the world as the last phases of its destruction took place. _

Celebi stepped forward this time. Hyrule held great interest to Celebi, it held one of his greatest works there.

_And the Seal?_

Bahamut shifted, troubled. _Dissolved. The Six Sages died during the destruction of the world, unable to use their powers to journey offworld and keep the Seal intact. The Juror of Power has escaped back into our Realm._

Jirachi waved its silver paw impatiently. _That is of no consequence. He has no powers, other than those he naturally has. WIth Hyrule's destruction, the Triforce is gone, meaning Ganondorf no longer has unlimited power. We can worry about him after this mess is done. The Protector of Power should be able to deal with him easily._

Giving a sigh, Celebi nodded, floating back into place above its pedestal. _Very well. The Crest Holders are converging on Spira. What is the status of the other Crest Holders?_ Celebi abruptly turned back to Mewtwo.

_The Protector of Power and the Lighter of Love are being directed to Spira. Using the power of the Queen of Hearts, Kairi has entered Gummi-Space and is being drawn to Spira. Yensid is currently dealing with the Protector of Power, and he will be senidng him to Spira as well. The Crests of Friendship, Courage, Knowledge, Determination and Kindness are either heading to, or are on, Spira already. Our only problems have been summoning the Sentinal of Sincerity and the Holder of Hope. As their world has long been using magical powers, the Heartless have been beaten back easily._

Nodding, Mew began floating once more. _With the Protector of Power present, they should have enough magic to activate the World Savers._

_And if not?_ Mewtwo asked.

Mew hovered silently. _We can only hope that none of the other Primary Worlds have been destroyed._

* * *

"What's that?" Nick asked suddenly, pointing out into the darkness of space. Narrowing his eyes, Sam focused on the point Nick was indicating.

"I think it's a planet."

"No way." Nick murmured. As they shot closer to it, Sam's eyes began to tell the difference between the last masses and the oceans. It was when they went by what had to be a moon that Sam looked around nervously.

"Uh, how do we stop this thing?"


	9. Chapter 8: Land of the Fayth

Chapter Eight  
Land of the Fayth

_You're a real though cookie with a long history,  
__Of breaking little hearts like the one in me.  
__That's ok; let's see how you do it.  
__Put up your dukes, let's get down to it._

_Hit me with your best shot...  
__Come on and hit me with your best shot.  
__Hit me with your best shot...  
__Fire away!_

_Hit Me with Your Best Shot  
__Pat Benatar_

Landing had been painful.  
Looking around him, Sam spat out a mouthful of the golden sand which was spread everywhere. Ani and Nassy's shield had shattered upon impact with the ground, and they had splayed outwards as they hit the sand. Giving a groan, Sam pushed himself off of his stomach and onto his knees, dusting off his clothing. Looking around for the staff he had been holding, he frowned when he saw it was gone. A few feet over, Nick was coughing, holding his arm. For the most part, they had escaped unscathed.  
Getting to his feet shakily, Sam looked around, now that he was at a better vantage point. The beach was small, but covered in golden sand like he'd expect around the equator back in the Pokémon World. There were several plants he had never seen before, but the most interesting thing was the ruins that were overgrown with the plants.  
Listening, Sam frowned. There were no birds whistling... No shuffling animals through the underbrush, there was nothing. Just silence.

It was the groan of Nick that pulled him back into the present. Remembering what had happened, he rushed over, kneeling next to Nick. The next few minutes were spent checking his arm for breakages, but in the end, Sam could guess that all he had done had sprained his shoulder.

"We're lucky." Sam said quietly. Looking up at Sam, sand covering his face, Nick blinked, before realising what was so lucky about the situation.

"I know. Coming through the atmosphere and hitting the ground at the speed of a comet? I'm surprised your sisters managed to hold it." Nick replied, getting gingerly up. "You check your sisters out, since you and them are psychic. I'll check the others."

"Ok."

"Healtia, we need you." Nick yelled, grabbing a Pokéball from his belt and throwing it. The result was a pink ball, with a nurse's cap on its head. Healtia, the evolved form of Blissey and the last in the four-line evolution. Taking in the situation with the calm, warm eyes of a practiced doctor, Healtia rushed to Josh's aid, while Nick checked Daniel.

Giving a sigh, Sam walked over to his sisters, who had passed out side-by-side. Kneeling down, he extended his hands, holding them above the two prone forms. Anyone with the ability to see psychic powers would have seen an intense wave of blue fall from Sam's hand to fall on Ani and Nassy as Sam mentally checked them for damage. Physically, they were unharmed, but their minds and powers were at very low levels, a result of their shielding. His eyes closed, Sam ignored the outside world until the sound of a gunshot rang out. His eyes blinking open, he stood up, pushing out with his psychic powers on instinct more than anything. A woman, brown hair, and in her mid-twenties, flew backwards, guns clattering out of her hands. Looking over, Sam saw a quailing Healtia trembling behind the smaller body of Nick. The look of fury on Nick's face was one Sam had never seen before, and without a word, Nick marched forward.

"What the hell are you doing?" Nick roared at the woman. Getting up with a speed that implied that she was used to being knocked down, she grabbed her guns, focusing eyes, one a beautiful shade of ocean blue, the other a forest green, Sam was interested to note, on the group. Looking at the guns, Sam bit his lip, extending his hands to show they were empty. At once, his staff appeared again, manifesting in a shower of blue lights. This form was different though. Instead of having an intricate network of metal strands everywhere, this one had a Pokéball with wings stretching out from the top of it. The staff was polished wood again, this one oak. At the bottom was a cap identical to the one on Sam's last staff.

'_Nirvana, Crest Form.'_

Looking around at the whispering air again, Sam rolled his eyes. Extending the staff, he narrowed his eyes on the woman. "Shoot those guns and we'll see what kinds of elements I can blast back at you."

Raising her eyebrow, Yuna smirked. The boy was looking to be in his late teens, so she seriously doubted he could do anything much to hurt her. Memory then surged through, reminding her that she herself had destroyed the greatest that Spira had ever faced at the age of seventeen as well. From what she could tell, the fiend behind the blond boy wasn't doing anything to hurt him, but that didn't mean anything. Still angling her pistols at the pink creature, she arched an eyebrow in challenge to Sam.

"She wasn't doing anything to you." Sam said quietly, Nirvana still levelled at the woman. "Put your pistols down. She isn't any threat. She's here to heal us."

Yuna frowned. "It knows white magic?"

Responding with a frown of his own, Sam looked over to Nick, who shrugged. "Magic is all fakery." Sam returned. "She heals people by using a highly selective branch of psychic power."

"And how were you planning to 'see what kinds of elements you can blast at me?' Yuna said dully. That froze Sam for a second.

"I'm not sure. I'm still figuring that out."

Giving a sigh, Yuna shook her head. "It's ok." She said. "Look, I'm putting down my guns." Since she was crouching, she simply dropped them. Relaxing as he felt relief surge through him, Sam knelt, putting Nirvana down between Ani and Nassy.

"I think we need to talk."

* * *

Sitting on the ground in front of his and Yuna's tent, their home when they were in Besaid, Tidus basked in the sunlight that was soaking into his bronzed skin. It was very rare that he ever got the chance to relax like this, between playing for the Besaid Aurochs and being one of the infamous Gullwings. It was a good life though, and best of all, he lived it with the woman he loved.  
His small musings were broken by the sound of running feet. Opening his eyes, he brushed blond hair from them, looking at the slightly chubby figure of Keepa, his team-mate on the Besaid Aurochs.

"Hey, wazzup?" Tidus asked, yelling in the direction Keepa had gone. Backtracking, Keepa jogged on the spot, red-faced from the effort of running.

"Yuna found a bunch of strange people on the beach, and most of them are knocked out." Keepa said; his voice relatively light. Blinking, Tidus frowned, getting to his feet. This he had to see.

The path to Besaid Beach was long and winding, going through small, rainforest areas and through one or two waterfalls before it reached a cave which had been sealed until recently; going past that led you to the beach. Depending on how fit you were, it could take anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour to get there, assuming you weren't attacked by fiends.  
Cold steel snaked out, striking at an unnoticed fiend. Jumping, Keepa looked in awe at the blade embedded in the skull of the fiend, who gave a howl of anguish, before exploding into several, glowing orbs which floated off. Pulling Caladbolg back, Tidus looked grimly at the place the fiend had been. Tidus was known for being one of the fastest people in Spira, in the Blitzsphere and out. Oddly, he had only seemed to be getting faster lately, seeming to know the layout of the land better than people who had grown up on the island.  
They had only gotten halfway there when they saw a small procession heading their way. Squinting slightly, the sun was in a bad position; Tidus shielded his eyes, attempting to make out who was there.  
The brown-haired form near the front of the party had to be Yuna. However, she was dwarfed by the two figures beside her, one blond and one a red-head. In all his travels, Tidus had not met anyone in Spira with red hair, other than Wakka and his offspring. At least, not a red like this. Behind them, some people were supporting some litters which were holding some people, while another two seemed to be floating just behind Yuna, how, Tidus didn't know. He could see a faint glimmer of blue under the ones behind Yuna, but that was about it. Jogging forward, Tidus met the group face-to-face, Keepa a small distance behind him.

"Hey." Yuna said, as Tidus came up to her. Giving him a small smile; and a quick peck on the cheek, ignoring the colour he turned, she looked around. "Sam, Nick, this is Tidus."

"Hi." The red –head said, waving. "I'm Sam."

"And I'm Nick." The blond butted in, hot on the trail of Sam's words. "Nice sword."

Looking down at Caladbolg, Tidus gave a small shrug. "Yeah, I guess. Sharp too." He added a serious look to his face as he looked pointedly at the two.

When Nick blinked, Tidus let out a burst of laughter. "Nah, I'm kidding. It's great to meet you." He said; a grin on his face. Looking Nick and Sam up and down, he raised an eyebrow. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Looking at Tidus, Sam shook his head. _Are we THAT obvious?_ He asked himself sarcastic. Outwardly, he smiled. "No. Um, a weird question, but do you know what Pokémon are?"

Tidus frowned. "Not a clue. Is it Al Bhed or something?"

"Al who?" Nick asked, looking confused.

"I don't think so." Sam added. "Here, I'll show you." Grabbing a red and white sphere from his belt, he hesitated as his eyes fell on Tidus's sword again. "Uh, under no circumstances can you attack him, ok? He's not gonna hurt you."

Tidus exchanged a look with Yuna, wondering what this kid was on about. When she nodded, he gave a shrug, giving Sam his own nod.

Relaxing, Sam threw the ball up in the air. Following its trail with his eyes, Tidus jumped as the Pokéball suddenly seemed to exploded open, a jet of white energy pouring from the inside of the object. Rushing to form near the ground, it turned into a small blue and orange creature which was standing on its back legs.

Looking down at the creature, Tidus blinked. This was new. He had heard of Fiendtamers, even seen one in action, but never met one who carried the fiends around with him.

Matching Tidus's stare, the creature looked back at the man, and then focused on his sword. Turning slightly, it turned to Sam, a quizzical look in its eyes.

"_Marsh, mar, shtomp, stomp stomp, Marshtomp_?" It said in a questioning tone. Looking down at the creature, Sam shook his head.

"No, he's safe. That shot you heard earlier was from her." Sam jerked his thumb at Yuna, who grinned sheepishly. "She shot at Healtia; it's all cleared up now though." Nodding its head, the creature turned back to Tidus.

"_Marshtomp? Marsh, marsh Marshtomp_!"

Nick and Sam promptly burst out laugh. Giving Sam a curious look, Tidus frowned when Sam waved his inquiring gaze away.

"Don't worry. He was just commenting on your clothes." Sam said.

"You can understand him?" Yuna asked her voice quiet. Looking at her, Sam grinned, moving his hair back to show his right ear, which had a small, blue stud in it.

"This thing. It's got a special kind of technology in it that translate a Pokémon's speech, and then passes it into the ear." Sam explained. Leaning in, Yuna studied it intently for a moment.

"You have a machina?" Yuna asked, frowning as she looked at it.

"Machina?" Nick asked, frowning. "We have machines, but this is fairly low-levelled stuff. With our big machines, we're capable of healing wounds and stuff almost instantly, as well as giving people psychic powers if they don't have any."

Yuna and Tidus shared another look, Yuna's amazed, Tidus's excited. "Ok, you need to meet a friend of ours." Yuna said, taking off at a jog. Looking behind him, Sam shook his head. They still had to get his family to somewhere comfortable. Carefully moving forward, taking care not to jostle Ani or Nassy, he followed in Yuna's direction, wondering just where they were. Something he hadn't noticed until he had tried using his powers was the gravity was lower here, he was capable of jumping a lot higher here than he was back in his world. It also made it easy to levitate Ani and Nassy without using much psychic powers at all. Giving a sigh, Sam moved them forward, preferring to have them in front of him rather than behind.  
Slowly, they made their way through the island, passing plants and waterfalls. Nick and Sam, used to the humid climate after travelling through Dictioy, seemed to ignore it, but the unconscious bodies of Sam's family were sweating buckets by the time they came upon a bluff overlooking a small village.

"Besaid Village, home to the Grand Summoner and three of her Guardians." Tidus said quietly, moving up to lean against a railing on the bluff. Picking his way around an odd totem, focused on the distant village, Sam neglected to notice a small portion of the totem turn a vivid shade of blue, before fading to black. Regarding the black stone thoughtfully, Nick puzzled about whether to tell Sam, but then shrugged. If he hadn't noticed, he wasn't gonna tell him. Keeping with the rest of the party, he left Sam and Tidus.

"Grand Summoner?" Sam asked, going up to stand next to Tidus.

"The Grand Summoner, a girl who, at seventeen, destroyed the biggest threat in our world. A monster named Sin. She, as well as six people who were there to guard her, saved Spira from Sin after it had attacked Spira's cities and towns for about a thousand years." Tidus murmured quietly. Shaking himself out of his revelry, he grinned at Sam. "Sorry, just reminiscing."

Arching an eyebrow, the corner of Sam's mouth crept upwards. "If I had to make a guess, you're one of those six guardians who protected the girl." Pausing, Sam frowned for a moment. "And so was Yuna?"

Giving a laugh, Tidus shook his head. "No, Yuna _was_ the girl. She was seventeen, and so was I, when we helped take down Sin."

Sam whistled softly. "That's the same age I am." He said, looking into the village. "And you guys did that? The only thing I've done is break the dimensional walls."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry." Sam said. "It's a concept that confuses a lot of people."

"Right." Tidus said uncertainly. "Anyway, Yuna became known as the Grand Summoner. She was called a High Summoner for about two or three years after Sin's death, but now, five years later, they're calling her the Grand Summoner." He said, with a touch of pride in his voice.

"The Grand Summoner, huh?" Sam's eyes picked out the small party heading into the village. Nick's blond hair was particularly noticeable in the group. "Tell you what, if it looks like I'm stuck here for good, I'll start calling her that."


	10. Chapter 9: Power's Protector

Chapter Nine  
Power's Protector

_Here I am; this is me.  
__There's no place in this world I would rather be.  
__Here I am, so proud and strong.  
__Right here in the place where I belong._

_It's a new world, it's a new start.  
__It's a live with the beating of a young heart.  
__It's a new day, it's a new plan.  
__And it's waiting for me... Here I am._

_Here I Am  
__Bryan Adams_

"Your majesty?"

Looking over his shoulder, the small mouse held a finger up to his mouth, indicating he wanted silence. In his other hand rested an oversized key, its handle within the King's grasp. Reaching into his black cloak, the King drew out a small pouch, throwing it to Sora.

"Shh, you gotta board the train and leave town! The train knows the way."

Without waiting for an answer, Mickey Mouse, King of Disney Castle took off, heading down the hill and deeper into Twilight Town. Frowning, Sora watched as the small figure disappeared from sight.

"Your majesty..." Donald Duck quacked softly.

Looking down at his companion, Sora's frown deepened. "The King, was that really him?"

Coming up next to the teenage boy, Goofy inclined his head as he too looked in the direction King Mickey had gone. "It coulda been..." Straightening, as if a particularly happy though had occurred to him, he nodded, a smile spreading across his features. "Yep, I know it was!"

"Now we know he's okay!" Donald said; the thought cheering him up like it had Goofy.

"The King was locked in the realm of Darkness, right?" Sora suddenly interrupted, a look of understanding beginning to dawn on his face.

"Uh huh."

"But we just saw him." Sora said slowly, more to himself than the other two.

"Yep."

"And if the King is here-" Sora exclaimed, his voice beginning to fill with excitement. "-that means Riku's here!"

Donald thought about that for second. "He's gotta be!"

Opening his mouth, as if to continue his excited rant, Sora was suddenly cut off when the Keyblade appeared in his hand. Looking down at it with a small frown, his attention was drawn up to the sky high above their heads. Small meteors showered down, each shimmering with a vivid, pearly white light.

"No way." Sora said softly, looking back down at the Keyblade. "The World Walls are gone?"

"Gawsh, this must be bad." Goofy murmured to himself, looking up at the raining Gummi pieces. "The last time the World Walls fell, the Heartless..."

"Invaded every world." Sora finished grimly. "Come on, we have to get to that train."

Turning on his heels, Sora led the way into the train station. Looking around for a window to pay for a ticket, Sora rolled his eyes when he saw a guard glaring at him from behind a glass screen. Heading over, Sora opened the pouch, gasping as he saw the amount of Munny it held. "Um, three please." He said absently to the guard. In response, three tickets whirred out.

"That'll be two hundred munny." The guard stated in a gruff voice. Handing over the currency, Sora stopped when his hand bumped against something cool. Grabbing a hold of it, he drew it out of the pouch, looking at it. A clear, blue crystal nestled in his palm. Squinting, he peered into it, and all at once, the orb filled with a variety of images. Training his eye, he could see the King assaulting some Heartless; clear waters lapping against the beaches of what had to be Destiny Islands; and a young girl his own age, with blonde hair.

"Sora! The train is leaving!" Donald's voice broke into his thoughts. Jumping, Sora risked a look back at the orb, disappointment welling through him when he saw it was empty.

Tucking the crystal back into the pouch, he ran the short distance to the departing train. Hurtling himself through the air, he passed through the open door into the carriage, feeling the vibrations of the engine under him. Giving a relieved sigh, he looked around, frowning when he saw the empty carriage.

"Where is everyone?" He asked, confusion riddling his voice. Looking idly around, Goofy turned back to Sora, shrugging.

"Not sure. Maybe we're the only ones needing this route?"

Shaking his head, Sora got to his feet. The scenery through the windows was normal enough; fields, city, everything, coated in the golden glow of a setting sun. It was with a sudden rush that sent a jolt throughout Sora's body that the surroundings changed. Now a field of stars lay where the meadows had been before. Blinking in surprise, Sora bit his lip. The screeching of the breaks informed him that the brakes were being applied, and with a jump, the train came to a stop. The door slid open, and Sora, Donald and Goofy were left looking at a small walkway that led up to a tower. Stepping out timidly as Goofy and Donald followed him, Sora turned to look at the train as he left it, and with a flash of light, it disappeared.

"Well, there goes our ride." Sora murmured nervously.

A faint chuckle reached his ears. By the tower, a large creature stood, looking through a crack in the door. Covering his mouth as he chuckled again, he didn't notice Donald, Goofy and Sora dash up behind him.

"What's goin' on?" Donald asked curiously, looking up at the creature.

"I sent some of my lackeys inside to see if the master of this here tower's as big and tough as they say. Word is, he's a real powerful sorcerer, which would make him the perfect bodyguard for me. See, it don't matter how tough he is, once he's a Heartless, he'll do as I say!" The answer came without the creature turning around.

"A Heartless!?"

The creature suddenly stiffened, looking over his shoulder at the group. Arching an eyebrow at the creature, Sora crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, a Heartless. They're those things that come out of the darkness in people's hearts. Once we get a big crowd of dem, me and Maleficent are gonna take over the Universe!"

Turning around completely, the creature suddenly jumped as it saw Donald and Goofy.

"Gah, it's you!"

"Pete!"

Looking between the two yelling parties, Sora shook his head. "You know this guy?" He questioned Goofy.

"We sure do! Pete's been causing trouble for ages! His Majesty banished him to another Dimension a long time ago! I wonder how he escaped?"

Giving a darker chuckle, Pete shook his head. "You wanna know, eh? Well, Maleficent busted me out, that's how!"

Giving a giggle, Sora smirked, looking up at Pete. "Sorry Pete, but you're wrong. Maleficent is toast.

"How do you kno-." Pete stopped suddenly. "It was you!"

Giving a modest shrug, Sora grinned. "We mighta had something to do with it."

Shaking with rage, Pete stood up taller, his bulk causing an imposing figure. "Heartless squad, round up!"

Small orbs of darkness surrounded Sora, Donald and Goofy, before one seemed to squeak. Without any other sign, the Heartless disappeared, leaving the four by themselves again.

"Heartless, round up!" Pete repeated. "Gaw, why aren't they listenin' te me?"

"Weird." Sora muttered. With a flash of light, the Keyblade reappeared in Sora's hand. Levelling it up to point at Pete's face, Sora's eyes narrowed. "So, who lives in this tower Pete?"

"Oh, ya don't know, eh? Well, it's old Yen Sid. 'Course he's probably a Heartless by now!"

"Mast Yen Sid lives here?" Donald cried, before dashing up into the open door of the tower. Looking at Sora, Goofy gave a grin.

"Yen Sid is the King's teacher!"

"Wow, sounds powerful!"

And without a further word, they too entered the tower, leaving Pete to rub his throat where the point of the Keyblade had rested. Muttering to himself about Heartless that didn't come when they were called, he waddled off down the path leading away from the tower and out of sight.  
Within the tower, the three dashed up a flight of stairs. Reaching a landing, Sora inhaled, slightly out of breath. Seeming to want to take the chance, three Heartless jumped from pools of darkness in the ground. With a yell of surprise, Sora summoned the Keyblade when three purple bolts shot from his heart; spearing the Heartless and making them disappear. Raising surprised eyebrows, Sora looked around, trying to find where they had gone. All he could see, however, were Donald and Goofy looking at him like he had grown an extra arm.

"What was that?" He asked, looking at his companions. In return, they shrugged. Frowning, Sora looked down at his body, seeing no place that the tendrils could have come from. "You know, maybe it's a good thing we're off to see the wizard."

"Well, let's see him then." Donald said cheerfully. Fixing Sora with one more, odd, look, Donald turned on his heel, resuming his dash up the next flight of stairs. Giving a sigh, Sora followed him, wondering how many stairs the tower could possibly fit.

He got his answer only minutes later when, after four sets of stairs, he found himself outside a door with a star on it. Gulping, he stretched out his hand, nudging the door open.  
Behind a desk, a wizen old man sat, looking down at a book with a stern glare. As the door opened with a deep groan, he fixed it with one, penetrating glare that refused to soften, even when Donald, Goofy and Sora entered. Walking to stand in front of the desk, Donald and Goofy bowed to the wizard.

"Master Yen Sid, it's an honour!" Donald said quietly, looking at the floor. Looking between the two, slightly confused, Sora raised an arm in welcome.

"Hi there!"

"Sora!" Donald burst out, shock filling his voice. "Show some respect!"

Waving his hand, Yen Sid shook his head. Fixing his look on Sora once more, Yen Sid huffed slightly. "So, you are Sora, the Keyblade Master and the newly crowned Protector of Power."

Sora blinked in answer. "Uh, yes?"

Staring at Sora a moment longer, Yen Sid's gaze dropped to the book in front of him. On it, a scene played out, showing Sora, Donald and Goofy running up the stairs of the tower. "As you may notice, I've been watching you. Please, sit."

With another wave of his hand, the wizard conjured three chairs. Looking at his dubiously, Donald glared at Sora as the boy instantly slipped into the one closest to him.

"Thanks." Sora said, giving a sigh of relief as he took his weight off of his feet. Eying Yen Sid warily, Sora opened his mouth tentatively. "What did you mean, Protector of Power?"

Yen Sid stiffened, inhaling sharply as he did so.

"You do not know?"

Shaking his head, Sora wondered what there was to know. That had been the first time he had been called the 'Protector of Power'. The 'Keyblade Master' was something he was more used to. Yen Sid sat, pondering, from the looks of things. When he opened his mouth, Sora leaned forward expectantly, reclining backwards in disappointment when the wizard closed his mouth.

"I shall explain it all in due course." Yen Sid replied. "Until then, I must get you prepared to meet your new companions." Lifting himself to his feet, Yen Sid paced over to a bookcase, pulling a small tome from its shelves. "You are aware that the Heartless have not been vanquished, not entirely. Your past endeavors did prevent an immense effusion of Heartless from the great darkness; make no mistake about that. However, the Heartless are darkness made real, and darkness lingers yet in every heart. The Heartless are fewer. But while darkness exists in a single heart, it will be difficult to eliminate them."

Waving his hand, Yen Sid conjured up an image of a Heartless. "Your quest to destroy the Heartless was the second such invasion in history. However, it seems that was only a test, to see how many protections this Universe has. The influx of Heartless that fled from you today was the shock troops of a third invasion, this one using the full might of the darkness."

"Why did they run away? I mean, the Heartless have never run away from me before. They've never had the, uh, brains." Sora stammered, searching for the right words to describe the Heartless.

"That is because the Heartless are creatures of instinct. While the Keyblade, and the Heart wielding it, are a very tempting target for the Heartless, there have been many changes in the Universe since your last adventure. To counter the third invasion, the Gods have created a group of elite warriors who have the ability to sow the seeds of light in people's hearts, bringing it to the foreground."

Straightening up, and noticing Goofy and Donald doing the same, Sora's eyes took on an interested look. "Really? Who are they? Will I get to meet one?"

"These Warriors, known as the Crest Holders, each represent a quality of the Light in a person's heart. With this quality, they are capable of generating enough power to open the Door to the Light."

Time seemed to freeze within the tower. Excitement filled Sora's heart, as well as contentment. Finally, there was someone else to deal with the Heartless. Finally, he could rest on Destiny Island with Kairi and Riku.

Yen Sid suddenly froze, looking up at the sky as if communicating with someone. With a nod, Yen Sid waved his hand, turning the image of the Heartless into a strange creature, one that Sora, Donald and Goofy had fought before the King had interfered.

"Now, these are a new enemy to you. These are Nobodies. When a Heartless is created, a Nobody may sometimes be created, but only if the person in question had a strong will. This willpower will fill the empty shell of the Nobody, forcing it to move. These creatures are without hearts, without souls, without emotion. The ones who are high-level may act like they can feel, but do not be deceived." Raising his hand a third time, the picture changed to a scene, showing a two young boys, a man and a woman, talking to each other from across the table. "Three of these people are Crest Holders. However, currently they are stranded on one world. The young boy there has the ability to link the worlds, creating Highways that anyone may cross. However, he does not have the knowledge about how to do this. To this effect, they will need transport between the worlds."

Sora grimaced. "You're talking about a Gummi Ship, right?"

"Correct." Raising his arm, Yen Sid turned to a window overlooking the starry landscape. As he did, a red shape rose. It was the Gummi Ship Sora, Donald and Goofy had used to get from world to world.

"And you want me to take it to them." Sora said, disbelief filling his voice. He wanted to return home, but he was interested in meeting the Crest Holders. Giving a sigh, he raised his hands. "Fine."

"But, before you go, I believe you will need new clothing. Those look a bit too small for you." Turning to a door in the chamber, he waved towards it. "In that room you will find three Good Fairies. If you ask, I'm sure they'll create suitable garments for you. Garments fit for the Protector of Power, one of the Chosen Crest Holders."

Sora froze. "Wait, what?"


	11. Chapter 10: Chosen

Chapter Ten  
Chosen

Staring into the seeing pool that dominated the Chamber of the Gods, Mew sighed as images from around the Universe glided across the surface of the water, disappearing as suddenly as they had appeared. There was one image that Mew had forced to freeze in place; a world that was about the fall. The Heartless were surging across the vast deserts of the world called Ivalice. The world Keyhole had been revealed to the Heartless after most of the world's population had fallen. Located within the Palace of Dalmasca, the Keyhole beamed with an internal light that attracted the Heartless like a beacon. Changing the view of the picture, Mew centred on six of the only living beings left on the planet. Riding within an airship which had kept them safe, the six were discussing ways to avoid being killed. Concentrating its powers of transport, Mew waved its paw, teleporting the entire airship across the Universe to Spira. Now done with that world, Mew dismissed the image of the lost world, calling up the next one to saving its survivors and teleport them to safety.

* * *

Looking around the echoing halls of the Besaid Temple, Sam sighed, leaning against a pillar to rest his forehead against the cool stone. He needed time to think. After his meetings with Yuna and Tidus, he was still in the dark about what was going on. He had seen enough strange things in the Pokémon World for him not to suffer a nervous breakdown, but it was becoming that much harder to not simply scream and whimper. The mere fact that he had summoned a strange staff from nowhere was only the ember on the Camerupt's back.

Even in a place of worship it was noisy, and it wasn't just physically. His psychic powers seemed to be fluctuating and shrinking randomly, adding another element of stress to his already overburdened mind. Without thinking about it, he began to head for a flight of stairs that took pride of place within the temple.

Looking around momentarily, Sam slipped through the double doors at the top of the stairs. It was much quieter here, but he could still sense people's thoughts from where he was. Craving silence, he moved away from the doors, spying another flight of stairs that went downwards into the bowels of the temple.

_Sam_.

He froze where he stood, ears craning for a voice that had been felt rather than heard. Listening intently for the voice again, Sam frowned, dismissing it as his imagination beginning to crack. Continuing his journey, he froze yet again when a snarl reached his ears. Wheeling on the spot, his pale eyebrows rose into his hairline as he spied what looked like a rabid, mutated Growlithe. It moved forward slowly, growling softly as it did. Looking down at his hands, Sam sighed. '_May as well give in to the insanity._' He thought to himself. Closing his eyes and extending his hands, he thought of Nick, Katrina and Brendan, calling to them with his heart. The smooth, wooden pole of Nirvana flashed into existence with a sapphire light. Opening his eyes to marvel at its existence again, Sam shook his head and focused on the creature coming for him.

'_The element of Friendship is the eternal water. Friendship, like water, is present everywhere, and found in many forms. As the Forger of Friendship, you may call on the power of Water to protect you in times of danger. To do this, think of Water in its forms, call to it with your heart, and call out 'Water'._' That was what the voice had said, during that dream. The dream that had sparked off this adventure, it seemed, where Nirvana had first revealed its presence.

Not in the mood to interpret the instructions in any way other than what he had been told, Sam raised the tip of Nirvana to point at the creature who was almost within hitting distance. Thinking of the rivers, lakes and tides of Dictioy, Sam narrowed his eyes. "Water!"

A ball of water erupted from the end of Nirvana and consumed the wolf-creature. Giving a last howl, the thing disappeared into a cloud of multi-coloured orbs which dispersed, passing through the walls of the temple. Blinking in surprise and wondering what had just happened to the creature, Sam reached up with his free hand to scratch at his head. Giving a shrug, and deciding it was normal for this place, Sam turned, his attention focused on walking down the stairs, and then the hallway that stretched from them. As he did, he slipped into a daze, trying to logically figure things out.

_Sam. Come to me._

Pausing again, Sam looked around. Muttering to himself about dismembered voices trying to drive him mad, Sam stepped onto a red circle that was on the floor. Looking down at it curiously, Sam tried to decide whether it was a tile or a very ornate painting. His attention was shifted off of that topic when the ground moved under him, the circle descending into the ground like an elevator. Gazing around the new room which was much more ornate than the rest of the temple, Sam turned around to find a new tunnel.

"How deep does this place wanna go?" He asked with a tone of annoyance. Spinning on his heel, he clutched onto Nirvana, using it like a walking stick as he strode into this new room. By Sam's sense of direction, he was under the main body of the temple, in a room that felt like the first one he had been in, with the staircase. Glancing up curiously at a second staircase, Sam shook his head. He had been through several, more complex buildings in the last year, but he didn't care to remember them now. Standing in the centre of the echoing room, Sam thudded the butt of Nirvana on the floor, snickering as he heard the thump echo around the room.

And as if in an answer, something else decided to knock back.

A force slammed into Sam's body, making him gasp in pain. Doubling over and dropping Nirvana, which instantly shimmered away into nothing, Sam squeezed his eyes shut as he struggled to inhale. When the air flooded into his relieved lungs, his eyes snapped open onto a comfortable darkness.

_The council has been called. Gods of the Universe, the Crests have awoken, the Champions of the Light have been created from their power._

A flash of light startled Sam's eyes. Wincing and moving his hand to cover them as a frazzle of pain shot through his head, Sam saw a figure, dressed in green, highlighted in the circle of light.

_The Hero of Time, Manipulator of the Eternal Flame and the Champion of Courage is Link of Hyrule. Farore, Goddess of the Forests, Plants and Courage, do you accept this boy as your Champion?_

No voice was heard, but a general _feeling_ of acceptance radiated around the darkness. Staring at the boy, Sam gave a yelp of surprise when the light around the boy split into two, shining its light around Sam's body.

_Pokémon Trainer, Master of the Seas and the Forger of Friendship, Samuel of the Pokémon World. Mew, God of Life and Friendship, do you accept this boy as your Forger?_

Again, another feeling of acceptance. Squinting in the bright light, Sam turned his head as another spotlight appeared; this one around a girl his own age.

_Queen of Hearts, Mistress of the pure Aether and the Lighter of Love, Kairi of the Radiant Gardens. Magnadramon, Goddess of Magic and Love, do you accept this girl as your Lighter?_

With this final feeling of acceptance, the three spotlights lighting up Link, Kairi and Sam fled their places as each of the three began glowing with an inner light. Link's light was a deep red, Kairi's the soft pink of a Jigglypuff, while Sam's was the deep blue of the skies and sea.

These observations were the last to go through Sam's mind before his body seized up.

Floating an inch above the ground, Sam's body pulsed with the blue light that was Mew's power. Within his body, changes began happening on a magical and psychic level. The water in his body, once simply going about its way, began to take heed. On Spira, Nick felt a trembling in his body as some kind of energy departed it. In their Pokéballs on Sam's belt, Sam's Pokémon felt the same rush. Giving a euphoric scream of pain and laughter, Sam's eyes snapped open, shining a vivid blue. As Mew's power left his body, the inner light that had made Sam's body glow began to rush along his arm, concentrating onto the back of his hand. A searing wave of sapphire light spilled out, mingling with the waves of energy that were released by Link and Kairi at the same time. The energy on Sam's hand began to contort, warping until it had shaped itself into a symbol; a ying-yang, divided by a blue line and outlined in the same colour. Two wings stretched off of the circle, giving the symbol the look of a whirlpool. The Crest of Friendship, unused for ten thousand years, was once again active.But its power had changed. It could sense that. Its power was no longer concentrated the way it once was. Looking into itself, it sensed two paths leading from its power, its colour diluting from blue to green on one path, and blue to orange on another. This intrigued it. Sending a questing tendril of energy down the paths, it activated whatever lay at the end.  
Gulping down air, Sam stared at the dark floor, down on all fours. Looking up, he could see the boy; Link crouched down as well, looking very white. Looking at Kairi, he could see she also looked strained.

_Gods of the Universe, I present to you the Primary Crest Holders, leaders of the Forces of Light and Rulers of the Crest Holders._

Though there was no sound, Sam's ears felt like they could pick up the feelings of applause. Something sparked within him, and with a cry of pain, he doubled over again. Something as moving through his mind, as if searching for something. Before his powers could do anything to repel the intruder, a voice said '_Ahah_!' and something closed within his mind.

_Sam, your powers have reverted to their original state. Your connection with an alternate dimension version of you did strengthen your powers, but weakened the dimension fabric. This has been repaired._

Looking around, Sam realised that he must have been the only one to hear the voice. Giving a sigh of defeat, he nodded. He knew when to back down, and right now seemed like a very good time to back down.

As if supporting his answer, an orange flash of light shone behind Sam, manifesting into the figure of Tidus. Behind Kairi, Yuna appeared in a flash of white light. And lastly, behind Link, two figures, a boy Sam's age, and a girl that looked to be Link's age, appeared in a flash of purple light and dark light that was dotted with white sparks.

_Gods of the Universe, I present the Secondary Crest Holders. Their Crests are offshoots of the Primary Crests, with each Primary Crest having two Secondary Crests under its command._

There was a moment of silence. With a frown, Sam looked around, counting. There were only four people here, when there should be six. Arms came from behind Sam, helping him to his feet. Tidus had realised Sam was here.

_The final two Secondary Crest Holders have been prevented from being summoned here. A power equal to your own has blocked my energy form summoning them to this chamber._

A rumble of dissatisfaction. Feeling extremely tired, Sam's eyes nevertheless began to roam the 'Chamber' they were in, looking for a way out. When no way presented itself, he sighed.

_Grand Guardian, Controller of the Earth and the Defender of Determination, Tidus of Spira. Jirachi, God of Space and Determination, do you accept this man as your Defender?_

It seemed the ceremony or ritual, what else could it be, was continuing. Expecting the customary answer in the affirmative, Sam froze when a questioning feeling was sent out.

_He was merely a spirit until three years ago. A condition of his survival is Lady Yuna keeping him close to her in her heart. He will not fade away, as the two love each other beyond any._

Another moments silence, before the affirmative feeling.

_Grand Summoner, Lady of the Winds and the Carer of Kindness, Yuna of Spira. Valefor, Goddess of the Winds, Skies and Kindness, do you accept this woman as your Carer?_

A definite yes this time.

_Keyblade Master, Ruler of the Mind and the Protector of Power, Sora of the Destiny Islands. Din, Goddess of the Worlds, Suns and Power, do you accept this boy as your Protector?_

A blast of energy reverberated around the Chamber. It seemed this Goddess was either more powerful, or more energetic, than her brethren.

_Sage of Time, Sovereign of Darkness and the Keeper of Knowledge, Princess Zelda of Hyrule. Nayru, Goddess of the Waters and Knowledge, do you accept this girl as your Keeper?_

A final feeling of acceptance. The four beams of light, their source coming from something out of this world, died, leaving the seven humans in the chamber in total darkness.

The orange glow, like a sunset's dying breaths, shone out of the darkness, its power blotted out by the much larger glow of the blue sun next to it. Looking down at his arms, and then at Tidus, Sam resigned himself to more pain, hoping that, this time, the voice wouldn't decide his hair was unnatural, and change it to black or something.


	12. Chapter 11: Questions

Chapter Eleven

Questions

_What do you think you'd understand?  
I'm not a boy, no, I'm a man._

_You can't take me,_

_And throw me away._

_And how can you learn what's never shown?_

_Yeah, you stand here on your own._

_They don't know me,_

_Because I'm not here._

_I'm Still Here_

_John Rzeznik  
_

With a groan, Sam's blue eyes flicked open, revealing the sight of stone walls. He was exactly where he had been before, nothing had changed. But, catching sight of the blue symbol which seemed to burn on the back of his left hand, he realised he had. He felt better, a lot better than he had in months. Looking deep into his mind, he felt a twinge of disappointment, his psychic powers had returned to their original level, but that was swept away as a surge of power filled his body. His body could _feel_ the pulling and breaking of the waves, his mind could track an individual particle of water through his body. With a yell of euphoria, he spread his arms, absorbing the power of the primordial element until he was full to bursting. Then, as powerful as the pull to absorb more energy was, he stopped. His body, his mind, his soul, whatever it was that held this energy, refused to take more.

His chest heaving, Sam looked down, his gaze returning to the stairs he had been so valiantly trying to get to before. Bringing his arm up to steady himself against the wall, Sam looked at the staircase with longing. He wanted to see what was in the room above it, but he knew he could wait. With a sigh, Sam turned, heading out of the temple. The temple had been here for centuries, a few more days wouldn't matter.

Exiting into the main room of the temple, Sam stood tall, looking around. Various worshippers, praying to small statues, had stopped to stare at him. Giving them a reassuring smile, Sam slowly made his way down the stairs, oblivious to the stare of the High Priest as he passed him. Wondering if the newcomer had radiated this sense of wellbeing and power before, the Head Priest shook his head, swinging his arms around in a clockwise circle in the prayer of blessing.

Stepping out into the warm breeze, carrying the salty scent of the ocean, Sam closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the sensation of the air current across his freckled skin. He was noticing things he hadn't before, and he revelled in the seemingly ordinary. He was happy, and that was plain for the world to see.

"Sam!"

Turning, Sam found Nick running up the stairs of the temple towards him. Slowing down as he approached Sam, Nick frowned, looking Sam up and down. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing." Sam replied, his eyes turning from Nick to the village. "Any idea where Yuna and Tidus are?"

"Yeah, they're in their tent. I went in there before, but I think they were asleep. Why's that?"

"I just need to talk to them is all." Sam murmured. "I had some stuff happen, and I think they're involved."

"Stuff?" Nick sounded suspicious. "What kind of stuff? Did you break something in there?" He pointed towards the temple.

"No, but... No, don't worry. I'll tell you later." Sam muttered, moving off towards the tent Yuna and Tidus had taken him and Nick when they had arrived in this world, leaving Nick looking after him with a thoroughly confused look on his face.

Entering the tent, Sam caught the eye of Tidus. Raising his eyebrow, Sam's sight flickered from Tidus's face to his right hand, currently running through his thoroughly tousled hair. An orange symbol glowed a vivid orange on the golden skin of Tidus's hand, a symbol that seemed to imprint itself on Sam's mind. In response, Sam's left hand began to throb with energy. Looking down at the crest on his hand, and then back to the one on Tidus's hand, Sam sigh.

"So it wasn't a dream."

Tidus shook his head, looking over at Yuna, who was currently rooting through a bag she had out on a table. Several small bottles were jumbled up near her, the pile growing ever bigger as she pulled more out of the bag. A white symbol could barely be made out on her right hand as it delved into the depths of the bag so frequently. "Um, what's she doing?

"Packing." Tidus said simply. "Or restocking, whichever you'd prefer. Whatever happened in that dream said we had an important task to do, so it's better of getting ready."

Sam arched an eyebrow again. "And you believed it?"

He received a bemused grin in return. "See, normally I wouldn't, but I recognised the voices of some of the creatures in that place. It's the only reason I'm jumping to, they never let Yuna, or me, down before."

"And this isn't just some really elaborate hoax?"

"Why would it be?" Tidus replied, looking confused. "I mean, I just came out of that place and already I feel more, I dunno, in tune, with everything. I know where everything seems to be on this island, it's weird."

Sam paused, thinking back to the chamber he had woken up in, the feeling of being connected to the waters of the world. "Well, I'm gonna need more proof before I go running off, Mew knows that I've done it before with bad results."

Tidus shrugged, about to open his mouth again when he was interrupted by shouting outside. "Lady Yuna! Sir Tidus!"

With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, Tidus looked over at Yuna, who had looked up with a frown at the mention of her name. "Keepa? What is it?"

A chubby man busted into the tent, puffing and almost knocking Sam over. "A message from Lady Rikku, Grand Summoner. An intruder was found in Bevelle, and something about the Chamber of the Fayth. Lady Rikku said to hurry."

The look Yuna and Tidus exchanged was much more potent this time, Yuna's surprised, Tidus's resigned. Leaping to her feet, Yuna bustled out of the tent, followed by Tidus, Sam and Keepa.

The roaring Sam had previously thought was the ocean had become much louder in the past few seconds, manifesting into the form of a large, red object floating in the sky. Looking up at it, Sam frowned. It looked vaguely like a Crawdaunt, but it appeared to be a strange mixture of an aeroplane and a space ship.

"Brother? What's wrong?" Yuna's quiet and calm voice broke through Sam's thoughts. Wondering who she was talking to, Sam jumped as a loud and brash voice called out around Yuna. It seemed to be muttering unintelligible things, breaking into squawks and yells regularly.

"Yuna! We have a red alert from Bevelle. Guards found a young girl in the Chamber of the Fayth. The Praetor gave us a heads up, but some of the old timers are calling for her execution. They seem to remember what Shuyin did very clearly. And if that doesn't sound bad, it gets worse. The girl was abducted by some weird fiends that are immune to swords. We better check this out." Blinking from the long explanation from such a calm voice, Sam eyed the airship warily. Oddly, he didn't think it was verified to fly by any organisation.

"I'll be right up Buddy." Yuna replied. "I've got two passengers, Tidus and someone else."

"Roger that Yuna. I'll teleport you three up in a second."

Sam looked at Yuna. "When he says teleport, does he mean psychically, or with a mac-?" He was cut off as a roaring filled his ears. His stomach dropped out and for an instant, all he could see was white. When it was over, he was on his knees, desperately trying not to throw up.

"Guess he doesn't like the teleporter." Tidus's voice said, sounding like he was very far away.

"Set course Buddy!" Yuna called. "Full speed ahead!"

"Yay Yunie!" A yellowish blur appeared in front of Sam's watering eyes, wrapping itself around a white figure he guessed was Yuna. Blinking a few times, his suspicions were confirmed when he saw Yuna being hugged by a younger girl. Looking from Yuna to Sam, the girl beamed, her face breaking out into a smile. "Who's this Yunie?"

"This is Sam. He arrived in Besaid earlier, and we don't have a clue where he comes from." Tidus answered, crouching to help Sam up.

"Oh well, that's easy. When a mom and a dad love each other very, very much, the-."

"I know that!" Tidus replied, looking flustered. "We just don't know where he actually came from. Check out the clothes for one."

Eying Sam, her head cocked to the side, the girl looked puzzled. "Wow, you're right. What's that?"

She was pointing to Sam's wrist. Looking down at his Pokétch, Sam frowned. "This?"

"Yeah, it looks like a machina, but it's so small! What does it do? Can I look at it?"

"It's a machine, called a Pokétch, it's got a lot of different functions, like telling the time and stuff, and take a look." He held out his wrist. As the girl grabbed it, cooing over it, Sam exchanged a bemused look with Yuna.

"Sam, this is my cousin, Rikku." Yuna offered by way of introduction.

"Oh, hey." Looking at the girl closely, Sam quirked his mouth. "There's not much family resemblance, is there?"

"YUNA!" Almost levitating on the spot, Sam whirled, his right hand settling on Zeus's Pokéball. A man covered in tattoos stood there. He was dressed in a pair of overalls, and that seemed to be it. Following the line of tattoos down, Sam gulped, focusing back on the man's face. His overalls were definitely the only thing he wore.

"Yuna! Who is this strange person?" The man demanded, pointing to Sam. Looking over her shoulder at the man, Rikku rolled her eyes.

"Ignore him Sam. This is Brother, my brother."

"You have a brother named Brother?"

"Tidus." Brother looked at Tidus, nodding in way of welcome, his jaw clenched. He didn't look impressed to see Tidus there at all. As Tidus nodded back, Rikku turned around.

"Lralg ed uid! Ra ryc cusa naymmo luum sylrehy!" She said. Shaking his head, Sam's fingers flew up to his ear-ring, tapping it slightly. When it beep softly in his ear, he frowned. It was working, which meant it simply didn't know the language Rikku was speaking.

"Fryd? Mad sa caa." The man walked forward, grabbing Sam's hand to look at the Pokétch. "Frana tet oui kad drec?"

As Sam looked at him, puzzlement clear on his face, a voice spoke out over some speakers. "Ok, course set, here we go!"

As everyone shuffled into a different position to stand, Sam looked around, then, with a yell, went flying back as the ship took off, to Bevelle and to this newest mystery.


	13. Chapter 12: Tower of the Moon

Chapter Twelve:

The Tower of the Moon

_Did it make you strong inside_

_Every time you do what's right?_

_In the times of darkness,_

_You will find the light._

_You'll find you have the courage within._

_To fight for what you truly believe in._

_With all your heart._

_I know you can do anything._

_With All Your Heart_

_Plus One_

Staggering down the ramp of the Celsius, Sam made a private vow to never ride upon it again. Clutching at his stomach as he fought off another wave of nausea, he tried to take his mind off of his flight sickness by looking around.

Where they had landed was a long stretch of path, leading to a large city that seemed to have red as its signature colour. Looking up at it with interest, Sam noted the guards moving along its barricaded walls. A mixture of city and fortress it seemed, an odd occurrence in what seemed like a relaxed country. As Yuna, Tidus, Rikku and another woman called 'Paine' walked by him; Sam inhaled deeply, straightening out. He was beginning to feel better, and for that, he was glad.

For all its fortifications, it did seem peaceful. There were children running around, smiling, but under the watchful eye of senior citizens. Frowning, Sam looked around for any signs of teenagers or adults, finding a lack of either, other than the guards upon the wall and his own small group.

"Lady Yuna! Thank goodness you've arrived." Turning his attention from his study of the intricate pillars that lined the path, Sam's blue eyes focused on the man walking towards the group. He seemed their own age, making his presence that much odder. Judging from the people bowing to him, he was a man of great importance. As he conversed quietly with Yuna, his eyes flickered to and from Sam with great regularity, plainly noting his own clothes and assortment of technology.

"-headed deep into Via Infinito. We've scaled the first twenty floors so far, but only you three have the ability to head into the deepest levels." The man said, his voice so quiet it was difficult for Sam to pick up. "We have men stationed by, but these fiends don't seem to have a weakness towards any weapons in general. Magic seems to destroy them, but we have a limited amount of mages." He paused, turning to Sam. "And who is this?" He asked, his voice turning it into a polite question.

"This is Sam." Yuna said, with an encouraging smile towards the Pokémon Trainer. "We think he might come from somewhere similar to the girl you found."

"In that case, welcome." The man said, his soft voice now carrying over to include Sam in the conversation. "I apologise if any Yevonites have attacked you, but this is a hard world, and we dislike surprises."

Sam gave a shrugged, signalling it hadn't happened to him. "If they do attack me, I'll let you know." He offered to the man. Receiving a grim smile in return, Sam frowned, wondering what he had said.

"We are short on time. Please, follow me." The man said, turning on his heel. Falling into line behind him, Yuna, Tidus and the other two women began walking up the long stretch of path towards the city. Shrugging once more, Sam set out, backing up the small party and eying the intricate decorations on the pillars and city as he walked. Yuna continued talking to the man, while Rikku bounced along, happily discussing something with Tidus. Only Paine was silent, her eyes set on the entrance to the city coming up before them.

"Oh, Sam!" With a jolt, Sam stopped, only centimetres away from Rikku, who had stopped talking to Tidus. Grinning, she held out a small device to him. "We might get into danger, so if anything happens, press one of the three buttons on this."

Looking doubtfully at the machine before him, Sam picked it up, eying it warily. His thumb danced gently along the surface of the device, pausing on one of three little nubs that broke the smoothness of the stone. "What is it?"

"It's a Dressphere, it lets you change into different outfits to fight in."

Sam made an odd face. "Changing clothes helps me fight better?"

"These ones will. They often come with their own weapons, which you don't have." She replied, amusement dancing on her face as she looked him over. "We're going into a pretty dangerous place, and Yunie said you're coming with us."

With a sigh, Sam shook his head, giving the device back. "I should be able to hold my own." He explained, giving her a quick smile. "Thanks though, I should be able to surprise you if it comes to a battle." Quick as lightning, his hand snapped down, grabbing Artemis's Pokéball from under his shirt and spinning it on his finger, a trick acquired through rigorous hours when it was too wet to even consider travelling, a frequent case in the humid region of Dictioy.

"Rikku! Sam! Come on!"

With a sigh, Sam looked past Rikku to Tidus, who was standing there with an expectant look on his face. Giving Rikku a wink, ignoring the confused look on her face as she looked at the Pokéball in his hand, Sam jogged up to Tidus, looking past him into the big city that was Bevelle.

Looking down from the height she was at with interest, Kairi frowned as she realised just how far away the ground really was. The guards she had escaped coming into this world had been lost in the labyrinth that was this city, and since then, Kairi had been looking around with interest. Her clothing hadn't really fitted in with the people she saw, so she had tried to make sure she avoided crowds. As a result, she had ended up in a temple, and then up into the tower she was on.

Hearing running footsteps, Kairi decided it was probably wise to continue on. Darting around a corner, she saw another flight of steps, scaling them as quickly as she could. The marching was getting closer, and with an irate sigh, Kairi doubled her speed, emerging onto a large walkway that connected to several other small towers, leading up to a podium. Running for it, her red hair blowing in the strong winds, she froze where she was as a large red ship roared over her. Looking up at it, shading her eyes to block the sun, she wondered what kind of person would drive such a machine when she heard a yell. Whirling around, she found the small troop of guards she had eluded for so long glaring at her, some looking worn out, others were simply red in the face. Giving a shrug, she took off again, heading for the podium. At the last second, she dashed down one of the pathways close to it, moving down the stairs as quickly as she could.

She stopped when she came into another tower. Frowning, it looked familiar; Kairi looked around until she spied what looked like a small computer. Leaning close to it, she studied it, wondering what it did. Her answer came when it beeped at her. Jumping back, she looked over at the stairway which worked its way around the inside of the tower. The stairs on it had disappeared, flattening out. A small platform waited at the top for her, as if asking for her to step onto it.

Taking a wary step forward, she stepped onto the gold platform, giving a shriek when it took off. Falling onto the slide it was going down, she skidded after it, trying desperately to stop, coming to a halt when she reached the bottom of the stairway. Tumbling onto the ground, she muttered, sitting up and rubbing her abused body parts.

An odd glow reached her eyes. Looking over, she saw a small statue, one part of it glowing a vivid pink. As if in response, her hand throbbed and with a flash of light the Crest of Love appeared. Looking between the two with confusion, she got to her feet slowly, taking one step, and then another, towards the statue. Seeming to sense her presence, the statue began to glow more urgently, the Crest of Love answering with equally fast flashes. Reaching out, her hands hesitated before she laid them flat against the cool metal of the device.

With a noiseless roar, the statue seemed to explode. A pillar of energy shot from the top of the statue, up the stairway and shattering the roof above. Looking up at the rain of falling debris, Kairi's blue eyes widened and with a squeak, she ran out of the way, taking shelter under the closest part of the spiral stairway.

Feeling urgency, Sam, Yuna and Tidus looked up as the top of the Tower of the Moon exploded, a beam of pink light shooting high into the sky. Yuna and Tidus exchanged panicked looks, breaking into a run while Sam, Paine and Rikku took off after them. As they went across the walkways the city seemed to be comprised of, Sam studied the Tower, wondering what was going on. Obviously this wasn't normal. With a sigh, he looked at the distance between them and the Tower, his impatience winning out. Stopping where he was, eyes focused on the door in the distance, he gathered up his psychic energy, and with a flash of blue light, he teleported.

A feeling of exhaustion he hadn't felt in months filled his bones as he rematerialised at the Tower. With a wince, he remembered his powers had been weakened by his experience earlier that day. Staggering forward, he stopped when he saw a girl his age peeking out at him curiously from under the stairs. Debris lay on the ground everywhere, as did dust. Ignoring that, Sam cocked his head, until his memory surged.

"Kairi?" He asked tentatively.

"That's me." She said cheerfully. "I don't know what just happened here, but it happened when I touched tha-." She stopped. Another part of the pillar had begun to shine now, this one a deep blue. Looking down at his left hand, Sam frowned as the Crest of Friendship appeared.

"What is that?" He asked, pointing to the machine with his right hand. When Kairi shrugged, Sam frowned. As Yuna, Tidus and the other two came running up, the machine flashed orange and white, feeling the arrival of two of the other Crest Holders.

"Sam?" Yuna asked, confusion in her voice.

"How'd you get here so, is that Kairi?" Tidus interrupted himself. "And what did she do?"

"I didn't do anything!" She answered. "This machine began flashing at me, and I was being chased by guards, then I touched it, the machine, not the guards, and THAT happened." She pointed at the beam of pink energy coming from the tip of the machine.

"What is it doing?" Sam asked, looking over at Tidus, who simply shrugged.

"Whatever it is, it's made a huge mess doing it." Kairi murmured, looking at the assortment of rubble. Turning her attention from it to the other Crest Holders, her brow furrowed. "Uh, Yuna, right?" She asked, looking at her. When Yuna nodded, Kairi smiled apologetically. "Sorry, there was a lot of information to remember in only a small amount of time."

Yuna waved her hand empathically. It seemed she didn't mind. Walking around the statue, she quirked her mouth, her eyes fixed intently on the glowing pink area Kairi had touched. "You touched it there, right?" Kairi nodded. "Let's see what it does for me then." Yuna muttered, extending a hand to rest it gently on the machine. In answer, the pillar of energy broadened slightly, the pink energies diluting as a thread of pure white entered into it.

"Looks like it wants us all to touch it, if it changes colours like that." Tidus said, scratching his head. Turning to him, Sam arched an eyebrow, and then shook his head.

"What the heck." He said, walking forward and touching the device. Blue entered the column, intermingling with the white and pink energies of Yuna and Kairi. When Tidus walked forward to touch it, orange entered the fray as well.

"Ooh, me! My turn!" Rikku bounced forward to touch the machine. When it didn't respond, she pouted. "Aww."

"It must be related to the Crests." Kairi copied Yuna's previous motion, walking in a circle around the machine. "But it doesn't look like we're enough, or something else would have happened." As if to prove her point, the beam of energy cut off, the statue returning to its previous, ordinary state.

"Well, that answered that." Sam narrowed his eyes at the creation. "If those panels are any recommendation, I'd say it needs at least nine of us." He hadn't noticed he had lumped himself in with the others. "But where are the others?"

"Lady Yuna! Lady Yuna!" A voice called out, drawing the attention of those in the room. A boy rushed in, obviously not winded by the long walk. "Lady Yuna, what's that?" He cut himself off, looking with wide eyes at the rocks scattered around the room. "Um, oh, the guards of Via Infinito want you to hurry, they say something weird is going on down there. There are some really weird howling noises."

Yuna rolled her eyes. "There are always howling noises." Looking at Kairi, she beckoned. "You'd better come as well. We should stick together."

"Good idea." Kairi agreed. "I had some men chasing me before, but I think I shook them of-."

"There you are!"

Looking up at the five men angling spears at her, Kairi looked sheepishly at Yuna. "Hey, I found them!"


	14. Chapter 13: Via Infinito

Chapter Thirteen  
Into the Depths of Via Infinito

_You can see today, but I see beyond.__When I get this feeling, something is about to happen.__Without any reason,  
It's supernatural._

_Some people call me crazy,__Some things there's no explaining.__Just believe what you see.  
It's supernatural._

_Supernatural  
Raven Symone_

Snickering behind a covered hand, Sam tried to keep a straight face as Kairi turned yet again to glare at him.

"It wasn't THAT funny." She complained loudly.

"You touched the statue again, scared the guards, making them fall down the stairs in a group. I'd say that's pretty funny." Sam retorted, looking around the dark corridors of the place Tidus had called Via Infinito. The howls had been echoing off of the walls without end, but they hadn't seen anything. That in itself made Yuna wary, since this place was usually full to bursting with things she called 'Fiends'. It was when the ground trembled under their feet that Sam stopped.

"What was THAT?" He asked, alarmed to hear his voice go to a slightly higher pitch than normal. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "What was that?" He asked coolly, trying to look undisturbed. Ignoring Kairi's snort of laughter, Sam looked to Yuna who had stopped when he had.

"I'm not sure." She replied, worry filling her voice. "Usually there are pyreflies as well."

"Pyreflies?"

"Uh, Yuna looked puzzled, as if trying to find a way to describe something that went without description. "They're, um. I'm not sure what they are, but they emerge from your body when you die and a Sending is performed."

"Sending?"

"It's a dance." Tidus interjected when Yuna made no move to answer. "A special dance that sends to the spirits of the dead to the afterlife, and stops them from becoming fiends."

"Ah." Sam raised his eyebrow. "You guys believe that works?"

Yuna began walking again as the floors settled down. "Yes." She answered simply, not looking back.

Sam frowned. This seemed to be a sensitive for her. Wondering what had happened, he made a mental note to ask someone at a later point.  


* * *

Groaning as he tried to get onto all fours from a lying down position, Sora blinked as his vision filled with an oppressive darkness. Wherever he was, it hadn't seen a glimmer of light in ages. His entire body seemed to hum as he got to his feet. Looking down at his right hand, Sora frowned as a purple symbol, looking like a hammer shimmered into existence; the Crest of Power. Looking at it in wonder, he wondered at the adrenaline which was filling his body. His ears were picking out faint stumbles from above, his mind sharpened, expanding as the Crest of Power activated the latent psychic gifts within Sora's mind, strengthening and bolstering his natural abilities at them until, without his knowing, he had become the single most powerful mortal psychic within the Universe.

His body felt the same too. Muscles became slightly more defined, his eyesight sharpened, his magical gifts grew. And then, as if sensing the tirade of growth that encompassed Sora's body, it was cut off. Feeling a slight sense of loss, Sora looked around, wondering what had happened.

"The Gods intervened."

Wheeling around, Sora squinted into the darkness, trying to make out the face of the one who had spoken. A flare of white light shone out, making Sora's eyes fizz with pain as Princess Zelda called it up.

"They what?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

"You and I are unique among the Crest Holders Sora. Within you is the capacity for limitless power. Left unchecked, it would consume you and destroy your mind." Zelda said quietly, he voice ringing through the silent corridors. "The ability granted to me is omniscience, the ability to know everything. However, as a result, we have been restricted."

Sora looked at her in confusion, his eyebrows coming together with an almost audible click. "Restricted how?"

"Our Crests may only be fully unlocked at certain times, as judged by the Gods of our Universe." Came the prompt reply. "I may only know facts when I need to, and you may use extreme power when it is deemed necessary." The fourteen year old girl smiled; a kind countenance to her grim words. "You are already one of the more powerful individuals in the Universe as it is. The Gods decided to merely bolster your natural abilities, as well as give you control over the element attached to the Crest of Power, that of the mind. In the meantime, you cannot directly channel the excess power from your Crest, instead, you must act as a conduit, lending your power to those weaker than yourself, or simply those in need of it."

"Uh huh. And what about you? What's your element?" Sora's boyish voice rang through the air.

Zelda smiled, flicking her fingers. In response, the shadows drew back, leaving Sora in a space fully made of light. "Much of the Universe's knowledge is kept in the darkness. By knowing everything, I can control the shadows."

"But won't you be able to do whatever you want then?" Sora asked curiously. "I mean, you know everything, won't you be able to do whatever you want?"

"I only know what the Gods wish me to know." She replied quietly. "And I cannot use more power than I naturally have. You and I may work together, but I cannot take power from you, nor can you be granted knowledge of everything you should like. I advise you draw the Keyblade."

Sora frowned at the sudden change of topic. "Why would I do tha-?"

His answer came as a roar shattered the stillness of the level. The shadows which had been kept at bay by Zelda swirled around the two Crest Holders in a whirlpool of darkness. Sinking into a fighting position, Sora summoned the Keyblade, ignoring the familiar clicking noise as it was summoned into being. Looking down at it, his eyes widened as he saw the Keychain at the end change shape, becoming a six-pointed star. "What the?"

"It's the Crest Weapon of Power." Zelda said, walking over to stand next to Sora, her long, white skirts rustling softly. Eying the whirling shadows, she quirked her mouth to the side. "The rank of Keyblade Master is separate to that of the Crest Holders. The Crest of Power usually works through symbols, however, since you have the Keyblade, it combines with it, rendering you that much more powerful than a normal Protector of Power would be." Lifting her right hand, a black symbol, looking like a reversed tick of approval with a small dot over the lower end on it, she expelled a ball of flame into the darkness, letting it explode with a puff of magic. In answer, a reverberating howling filled the air and the tornado stopped, pooling to become the one creature. Standing nearly 10 feet tall, its head seemed to scrape the top of the roof. It looked like an odd mixture of machine and darkness.

"Ultima Shade." Zelda told Sora. "The Heartless of an Unsent called Paragon."

Looking at the Heartless with calculating eyes, Sora made to charge forward. He stopped as Zelda extended a hand, keeping him back.

"It will be fine." She soothed him. "We have help."

A screech of rage reached Sora's ears. Turning, his eyes widened as a large form, taking up most of the passage, soared above him. Landing heavily on the ground, Sora found himself looking into the silver eyes of a giant bird, its feathers black. A full moon shone on its chest, while a quarter moon glimmered on each of its wings. A silver beak parted to momentarily show a red tongue as the bird screeched again. Raising her hands above her head, followed by a whirling motion with her hands, Zelda summoned an orb of green into existence. Staying where it was momentarily, it zoomed off in the direction the bird had come from.

* * *

Muttering to himself as he trudged along yet another level of the limitless ruins, Sam paused when he felt a trail of wind saunter across his sweaty brow. It was hot down here; growing hotter the deeper they descended. Looking up, he hadn't realised he was at the front of the group, he stepped back a step as he saw a flash of green light, steadily coming closer and closer. "Uh, guys?"

Kairi, Tidus and Yuna crowded behind Sam. Rikku and Paine had opted to stay topside, though Sam had a feeling Yuna had asked them to quietly. Kairi frowned as the ball came closer, its green light throwing off a tail of sparks behind it. "What do you think that is?"

She got her answer when it paused in front of them. Without warning, it enlarged, engulfing the four of them in a bright light. When he could see again, Sam gulped as he saw the epic shape of the Ultima Shade, the two people he vaguely recalled as being Sora and Zelda standing in front of it. Realising the darkness above wasn't natural, Sam looked up and yelped, just as the bird opened its wings, shining what looked like white moonlight onto the Heartless.

"Celestrial." Sam breathed, his eyes wide with wonder. "The Legendary Bird of Darkness."

"You know what this thing is?" Tidus said, looking up into the feathery underbelly of Celestrial. Catching Sam's amazed look, Tidus nodded. "That must be a yes."

Celestrial continued his attack on the Ultima Shade, looking down at the beings below it with a look that approached confusion. When Zelda turned to him, showing the Crest on the back of her hand, he seemed to nod, concentrating his attack on the Heartless.

Summoning Nirvana, Sam whipped it around in a circular motion, narrowly missing Kairi who had followed Sam's example and called on the Papal Gloves. Angling the tip of Nirvana at the Ultima Shade's head, Sam narrowed his eyes, crying out 'Water!'. In response, a jet of highly pressurised water sprang from the tip of the staff, knocking into the Heartless and knocking it off balance. A blast of white energy erupting from the Papal Gloves completed the effect, making the creation of darkness fall onto its side, its large, imposing legs kicking uselessly.  
Extending her hand, Yuna looked pained for a second as she attempted to draw her weapon. When a pistol, a smooth creation of white and brown, displaying the angled bow and arrow symbol of Kindness on the handle of the gun, appeared in her hand, she raised it, pulling the trigger and shooting a blast of heavily compressed air at the Heartless. Impacting, it made the Ultima Shade slide back a few metres, directly into the rain of lightning Sora summoned with the Keyblade. Giving a yell, the Keyblade master ran forward, leaping high into the air and fell, Keyblade first, driving the mythical weapon deep into the neck of the Heartless. Giving a wounded howl, it vibrated, somehow levitating in the air and resuming its upright position. Jumping clear, Sora rolled to a stop next to Tidus who jumped into the air, a golden glow surrounding his fists. Punching the Ultima Shade heavily on the head, his other fist connected with its eye socket. The light generated by the Crest of Determination tore through the body of the Ultima Shade, rendering it blind on one side as the eye dissolved into nothingness. Landing in a crouching position at its feet, Tidus narrowly avoided being crushed to death as Celestrial extended a wing, drawing Tidus closer to his midnight black body. The full moon on the chest of Celestrial began glowing a vivid silver. After a second, a beam shot forward, broadening until it encompassed the Heartless in its entirety. With a final howl of anguish, the Ultima Shade began breaking up, the darkness being carried away by Celestrial's power.

Giving a sigh of relief, Sam looked up at Celestrial still attempting to contain his awe. He watched, silently as Celestrial backed up a few steps until he could see the six Crest Holders before him. And then, to Sam's astonishment, he bowed his head. Feeling as if his heart would be audible up on the surface, Sam felt his stomach enter his throat as Celestrial bowed to the beings before it. This, above all things, told Sam that what had happened earlier with the Gods was true. The Universe was in peril, and only he and the other Crest Holders could stop the darkness.  
He dreaded telling his mother he would be leaving again...


	15. Chapter 14: Fire, Light and Courage

Chapter Fourteen  
Fire, Light and Courage

_I touch the fire and it freezes me...  
I look into it and it's black.  
Why can't I feel? My skin should crack and peel.  
I want the fire back._

_Now through the smoke they call to me,  
To make my way across the flame.  
To save the day, or maybe melt away,  
I guess it's all the same._

_So I will walk through the fire.  
Cause where else can I turn?  
I will walk through the fire,  
And let it...._

_Walk Through the Fire  
Sarah Michelle Gellar_

Blinking in the sudden light, Sam shook his head as a guard offered him a hand off of the teleporter. He still felt dazed, having a member of the Wings of Council bowing, of all things, to him! Well, to the six of them as a group, but still, it wasn't a common experience for anyone. Celestrial had always been known as arrogant in the legends about it, which made it all the more shocking.

"So Sam, what was that thing?" Tidus asked, materialising into existence and stepping down to stand next to him. Looking at Tidus blankly for a few seconds, Sam realised he'd been asked a question and shook his head.

"Sorry, um... How do I explain this?"

"At the beginning, maybe?" Yuna coaxed. Turning from her conversation with Rikku and Paine, she smiled at Sam. "You look overwhelmed."

"You would be too, if you knew the full story." Sam murmured. "That was Celestrial. Back on my world, he was a member of a group of creatures called the Wings of Council. They were extremely powerful Pokém-, uh creatures, and known for being very conceited and high and mighty sometimes." Sam paused, before continuing. "Celestrial is the Legendary Bird of Darkness. In ancient legends, it's said he brings the night, while Ho-oh, another legendary bird, brings the day. Seeing Celestrial on the night of a full moon was meant to mean that you had the protection of the Wings of Council in the olden days, while seeing him on the night of the new moon meant you were condemned by the Council."

"And that's bad?" Paine prodded, frowning as she listened.

"Well, when the members of the Council had the power to caused storms capable of wiping out the planet, or caused forests to grow in minutes, then yes. I'd say you were in trouble." Sam said solemnly.

"Understood." Paine nodded. "That's what you saw down there Yuna? We'll need to see what the moon is like tonight."

"I think it was a new moon last night." Rikku piped up, sounding worried. "Yunie, you're not gonna die, are you?"

Shaking his head, Sam turned, watching as Sora flashed up from the depths of Via Infinito. Sam had already felt Sora's psychic presence, feeling more than a little intimidated by it. As if reading Sam's mind, which he probably was, Sora turned, his blue eyes catching Sam's own. Grinning, he winked. Hurriedly, Sam erected several psychic shields, hoping they were enough to prevent Sora running rampant in his mind.

"So, we're all here, except for one." Kairi murmured. Jumping, he hadn't realised she was there, Sam looked puzzled, and then remembered Link, the boy in green.

"How're we gonna find him?" Sam asked, sounding puzzled. "I mean, we found each other so far through chance, I doubt that's gonna work again." Turning to Yuna, Sam quirked his mouth. "Do you have any ideas?"

Yuna frowned. "I'll ask Buddy if there have been any reports of more strange people, no offense, running around."

"Hey!" Sora protested. Shaking his head and smiling, Sam looked around the small room they were in.

"How're we gonna find Link?" He muttered to himself. Memory suddenly kicked in and with a frown, he turned to the others again. "And what about that thing we touched earlier? The one that shone different colours?"

"Oh, you mean the Genesis Shrine?" Zelda asked, sounding delighted. "I was wondering if one had been found yet. Were you able to activate it?"

"How d'you know about that?" Tidus asked, a frown on his face.

Zelda smiled sweetly. "Crest Bearer of Knowledge, Tidus." She turned to Kairi. "Did the beam turn a golden colour?"

Kairi shook her head. "No, it had different colours appear in it as each of us touched it, but then it shut off." She looked over at Sam, almost daring him to mention how she had tripped. Sam replied with an innocent face. Rolling her eyes, Kairi looked up, focusing on something beyond the roof. "So what does it do?"

"The Genesis Shrines are the backup plan if we fail." Came the reply. "There are three Genesis Shrines in place on the five Primary Worlds, the first worlds to have been born after the creation of the Universe. Once activated, they restore part of the Universe from the darkness and once all are powered, they will reveal the path to Kingdom Hearts."

"Ooh, what's that?" Rikku asked, sounded enthralled in the story.

"Kingdom Hearts is the source of life in our Universe, from it all hearts are born, and to it all hearts will go. It is the door to the Realm of Darkness, the source of all Heartless."

Rikku blinked. "Um, ok."

"We should go up to the Genesis Shrine now." Zelda said, ignoring Rikku's blank look. "If we cannot activate the Genesis Shrines relatively soon, we may lose the ability to summon Kingdom Hearts and save the Universe..."

* * *

Coming to with a groan, Link got up, his hand instantly flying to his head where it felt like a Goron bongo orchestra was playing an extended opera. Blue eyes took in area he was in, cold blue walls, wet stone, a door that led to a corridor which, if Link wasn't mistaken, was full of water held at bay by some unknown force. His boots squeaked on the wet floor, providing unsteady flooring that didn't make the best surface for a woozy teenage boy. Slipping, he flailed his arms to regain his balance, narrowly avoiding landing on the floor again. Once he was firmly settled again, he crouched down to lightly touch the floor, wondering what was keeping the majority of it from drowning him.  
As he eyed the press of water outside the door, a rush of heat sizzled its way through his veins, flowering from the hand he had on the ground. Around it, water hissed, converting to steam. Within seconds, the room was filled with steam and the floor was drier than it had been in years.

'_Link?_'

The boy blinked, looking around. With a sudden realisation that the voice had spoken telepathically, he waited patiently.

"_Thank Nayru, you're here. Where are you?"_

It was Zelda. Without waiting for an answer from the boy, he felt her presence in his mind shift. His eyes sparked, making him gasp in pain, blinking away tears as they began watering. When he looked up again, he knew Zelda was looking through his eyes.

"_Macalania Temple."_ Zelda told him. "_Excellent, we'll be there shortly. Don't open that door unless you can swim without drowning. There's a lot of water out there._"

Another spark and suddenly she was gone. Rolling his eyes and wiping his eyes, he looked back at the door. Swim without drowning? He could do that... Reaching behind him, his fingers dug into the back of his tunic where a cunningly hidden pocket lay hidden under his belt. He had never asked himself how the pocket could hold everything and anything he chose to carry, nor did he know how the item he wanted would always be waiting for him to reach in, but he had the inkling Saria would know. Feeling a cool surface which gave under his fingers like a skin, he grabbed and pulled, looking down at the object within his hands. The Zora's Mask, containing the spirit of a dead Zoran Warrior. He hadn't worn it since he had left Termina, nor did he know if it would still work, but now was as good a time as any to find out.  
With that, he jammed the mask on. Energy rippled through his body, but unlike normal, the energy seemed to embrace him. His body underwent the metamorphosis, usually incredibly painful, without any trouble at all. Looking at his left hand, which shone with the red Crest of Courage, he decided that maybe these things did have perks on the occasion. Walking awkwardly towards the door, he looked at it, not knowing how it worked. With a shrug he telekinetically moved it upwards, treating it much like a door on his own world.

The wall of water, its pathway no longer blocked surged past him. Diving into the mass of it, he strove to fight the current, kicked his leg and flicking his fins as he swam out into a huge lake which engulfed a good part of a building built above it. The building, supporting itself on larger glaciers looked ready to tumble into the lake, the ice that held it up moving ever further away. Judging from the level of water over the building, Link concluded the ice had been melting slowly. Looking up, he saw a yellow sun shining in the air, looking slightly younger than that of Hyrule's. Kicking his feet, he lazy swam upwards, ignoring the mass of darkness gathering below.

The sense that something wasn't right grew as he swam upwards. Frowning, a difficult ability to master in the tight skin of the Zora's, Link paused, supporting himself in the middle of the water. His instincts suddenly screamed and he dove to the right, narrowly avoiding becoming food for the creature that shot past him. Looking like a bloated puffer fish, it supported a belly like a cage, allowing water in while keeping its prey captive for later.  
But following that creature was something far worse. Stretching up with tentacles made from darkness, a being that resembled a whale made of shadows let out an earth-shaking cry. His eyes widening from the sheer size of the creature, Link shot away as one of the elongated tentacles on the back of the creature drifted slowly past him. As it moved through the water, it tugged down, creating a rip. Fighting it, Link's body engulfed itself suddenly in lightning, as if hoping that the creature would damage itself. As the current almost slammed Link into the creature, the electricity halted, changing its form to that of white flames. Passing through the tentacle and leaving a hole in his wake, Link looked at his skin, started. Sensing the danger to its Crest Holder, the Crest of Courage pulsed and sent out a jet of red light out along Link's hand. Feeling a handle fit into his hand, Link looked down, gazing in wonder as the Master Sword shimmered into existence. Normally it was far heavier, but as if adjusting for the situation it became lighter until it was a suitable weight for Link to hold as a Zora. The element of surprise over, Link swam forward, cutting through the gigantic tentacle with the Master Sword. Hearing a groan of pain, Link swam away as fast as he could; narrowly avoiding the waves of darkness the creature sent vibrating through the lake.

It was too big, Link realised. Too big for him to affect easily. Dropping the Master Sword, it would only weight him down, he swam upwards. In answer, the Master Sword vanished in a flash of red light, reappearing in Link's hand. Giving a groan of frustration, he swam faster and faster, trying to get away from the leviathan Heartless that dwelt below him.

_

* * *

  
Sisters, our Champion is not doing well._

Looking at her triplet, Farore bit her lip, an expression that may be called concern on lesser beings crossing her features. _He is too new to his powers to fight this manifestation. This appears to be the work of Yu Yevon._

_But how?_ Din questioned, gently folding her arms across her chest. _He was destroyed five years ago by the Crest Holders of Kindness and Determination._

_Yu Yevon has possessed Tidus._ The answer came on a voice that sounded like the crashing of the waves and the mournful cry of whales. _The Crest Holder of Determination. It seems Yu Yevon was not defeated five years ago, but simply possessed the nearest thing to an Aeon, a change that took a while, but he succeeded eventually, possessing Tidus. When He was brought back from the Universe of Dreams, Tidus appears to have brought back Yu Yevon in his heart. This is Sin, and a Heartless._

Arching an eyebrow at Nayru, Farore's mouth turned upwards in a smirk. _We cannot have a being so powerful destroy our first Champion, can we sisters?_

Din grinned broadly. _No we can't._

Each sister extended their hand simultaneously, holding out one finger to hover over the Seeing Pool in the Chamber of the Gods. A drop of blood fell from those perfect fingers, falling through the image and collecting into one yellow mass. Wriggling and moving, the mass strove to go four ways, breaking into four animals. Giving their first cries of life, the four creatures looked around, staring at each other, before moving off in separate directions. Reaching down into the pool, Nayru gently picked up the fourth creature, one that looked like a water snake.

_Lanayru_. The Goddess said, speaking to the creature. _You have been called into life to protect this Universe. Here is your first charge. Protect our Champion and show the spirits of the dead that the will of the Gods is not to be trifled with._ Without waiting for an answer, she dropped the creature, watching as he fell into Spira. Twisting and writhing in the air, he slowly got bigger, his intangible body of light smacked the water with a splash that was more felt that seen.

Looking down at the Heartless below him, Lanayru dove, opening his mouth to expel a beam of light into the back of the Heartless. Realising that this creature was on his side, Link slowly swam up to it, pausing momentarily beside Lanayru.

_Get on my back._ The being projected into Link's mind. Nodding once, he swam around Lanayru, carefully getting on its back. Once he was settled, Lanayru swam forward, diving towards the dark manifestation of Sin. Sending another beam of light piercing through Sin's body, Lanayru twisted to avoid a gigantic leg coming down on top of it.

_Champion of Courage, kindly lend me your strength._ Lanayru asked as they looped around Sin's tail. As if sensing the confusion in Link's mind, Lanayru sent something very much like a sigh into it. With a flick of her body, she unseated Link, turning to face him and swelled slightly. A final beam of light roared out of Lanayru's mouth, surging towards Link. Holding up the Master Sword to block it, Link flinched as the beam reached him. However, without even a whisper or tremble, the energy focused into the sword. Its blade began glowing in the darkness of the lake. _I have given you my strength Courage's Champion._ Lanayru's ghostly voice made the water shudder. _I will see you again_. With that, the giant snake vanished.

Feeling very much alone, Link eyed Sin. He had the inkling it had turned to look at him, but he couldn't be sure. When the dark tentacles headed towards the beacon of light that was the Master Sword, he swam forward, white fire playing on his skin, burning away the tentacles. When the sword in his hand began to tremble as if anticipating its first kill of a Heartless, he swung the sword, eyes widening as an epic slash of light darted out longwise against Sin's body. Cutting through the shadowy ligaments and muscles, the beam cut Sin in two, exposing a dark creature looking like a pathetic parasite floating on the water. Giving a scream of fury at the being that had almost killed him, Link slashed again, putting the rest of his energy into it. Instead of a wave, a beam of light shot from the tip of the Master Sword and engulfed the creature. Yu Yevon, creator of Sin shuddered and, under the superior magic of a Light Spirit, began crumbling away. The rest of the enigma it had created began writhing in place, dissolving as the light lit up Lake Macalania. Up above, Brother covered his eyes while Yuna shielded hers. The other Crest Holders looked as the entire lake seemed to become light itself. As abruptly as it had started, the light was gone.

"So, you think Link is there?" Sam asked Zelda slowly. "If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known."


	16. Chapter 15: Catalyst

Chapter Fifteen

Catalyst

_If you're tumbling down and your spirits fall,  
Help's on the way, we hear your call.  
On a mission we're united as one.  
Friends forever, yeah, here we come._

In no time we'll be at your side  
We're a team on a rollercoaster ride  
Each one of us knows just what to do  
Never gonna stop searching for you.

'Comin' to the Rescue'  
O Town

It had taken several minutes to convince Link that the airship wasn't another monster out to attack him; however the Celsius would always show the signs of his enthusiasm in its chipped paint and hacked tail fin. Even now Brother was throwing mutinous glares at Link's back, ones that only stopped after Yuna caught one of these glares and equalled it with one of her own.

"We're all here." The announcement came from Zelda as she strode into the room, looking down upon everyone below her regally. "Theoretically, this should be enough for us to begin activating the Genesis Shrines."

Sam's eyebrow twitched. "And if it's not?"

Zelda looked down her nose at him. "Pardon?"

"What if this group," He waved his hand to include the seven of them now collected in the cockpit of the Celsius. "-isn't enough to activate the Genesis Shrines?"

Zelda paused, a small frown crossing her delicate features. "I'm not entirely sure." She admitted. "The Gods do have a second plan if we aren't enough, but I'm not sure what it involves. The Crest of Knowledge won't tell me either."

"Right." Sam muttered. "Wonderful."

"But we're still missing two of our numbers at any rate." Zelda returned reasonably, making her way down the stairs. "The Crests of Sincerity and Hope are still out of our reach. We will meet up with them later." Turning to Brother, she smiled. "Brother, if you would kindly return us to Bevelle, we would be eternally in your debt."

"Why there?" He demanded, a high pitch whine creeping into his voice. "We've been there already today. Nearly got shot out of the air by a beam of light too."

From the corner of his eye, Sam saw a small tinge of red go across Kairi's face. Turning to look at her, a grin on his face, he smirked as she arched an eyebrow at him, simply daring him to comment. Knowing his face said enough, he turned to look at Brother. "That beam of light is why we're going back." He explained. He disliked the way Brother focused on him when he talked, and particularly, on the many small machines, or 'machina' as Brother called them, Sam wore all over his body. "Just don't go flying around once we've left, or that beam may do more than clip you this time."

Brother glowered at Sam, but swung around and jumped into his seat when Tidus came to stand behind Sam. "Thanks Brother." Tidus said brightly, a grin on his face.

"Ku cruf ed frana dra cih tuach'd creha." Brother muttered in return.

The Genesis Shrine throbbed with power as they approached it. Circling it so that their positions matched up with the small panels of light that pulsed whenever they got near; they waited for a second, as if waiting for someone to go first. Looking to his right, Sam quirked his mouth as he saw a black panel. Whoever was meant to be there was too far away to make an impact on the shrine.

Link was the first to get tired of waiting. Placing his left hand onto the shrine, a flash of red light poured out of his hand and into the statue, sending a red beam of light into the sky. Purple intertwined with the red as Sora added his hand, with a new colour being added as, one by one, the Crest Holders added their power to the shrine. Looking at his left hand cautiously, Sam sighed and looked around, realising he was the only one not touching the statue. Hurriedly, he pressed his hand to the statue, putting blue into the beam. A high pitched whining noise filled the air. In answer, the column of energy began developing little circles that wobbled as they went up the pillar, the energy beam passing through their centres. Looking up, a hopeful feeling in his stomach, Sam's brow creased as he frowned.

"I don't thin-." He started when the beam shut off. The energy supplied by the Crest Holders shot back out of the black stone of the statue and into the body of their Holder, knocking them back. Staggering, Sam stumbled backwards until he hit the wall, using it to brace himself. Sora had been knocked off his feet by the energy, while the others went through a mix of the two.

"Well... I think we might need that backup plan now." Sora muttered."

_Brothers and Sisters, our first plan has failed._

Looking over at Ifrit, Nayru pursed her lips. _I believe we can see that Brother._ She said coolly. Looking up at the endless black sky, Nayru called out, _Are you sure the final two Crest Holders cannot be summoned?_

_Very certain_. Purple light coalesced into the feline form of Mewtwo. _Upon further investigation, it is the power of one of the Banished Pantheon whose abilities nullify your own._

Mew hissed, showing fangs. _They have risen once more?_

_Only on Magirth. _Mewtwo replied, bowing his head slightly to his creator. _Chronos has awoken through the efforts of a minor Demon on that world._

_And the Elders?_

_Not yet aware. However, the Charmed Ones have noticed the imbalance of power, in addition, so have the representatives of the Slayer Line. Echotrance and Halu have been dispatched to deal with the threat, however they do not have your power Great Ones._

Mew looked solemn, looking sidelong at Celebi as the Time God began to speak. _Echotrance and Halu have recently been made the Patrons of the Crest of Sincerity and Hope. Do they mean to activate the Crest Holders while they are there?_

Mewtwo shuffled on the spot slightly. _I am not sure._ He replied honestly. _The fact remains that the Major Crest Holders do not hold the ability to awaken the Genesis Shrines by themselves. My own recommendation is to activate the Tertiary Crests._

Mew's head snapped up, his face skewing into a look that might be a frown, but simply looked adorable on the small kitten-like God. _It may provide enough power; however, the Minor Crest Holders are more spread out across the Universe than the Major Ones were. It is unlikely the full Council of Crests would ever meet, let alone join together to activate the Genesis Shrines._

Mewtwo bowed again. _Forgive me, Creator, but I believe that there is a Tertiary Crest Holder on Spira now. The Crest of Trust is greatly tied to the Major Crests, so I believe it can be found close by._

Mew watched Mewtwo carefully, before give a curt nod. _It is done._

Mew's voice echoed as the other Gods spoken the same words as he. A ripple set out across time and space vibrating through the various worlds. The power of the nine, less powerful Crests woke, and instantly began search for their Holder. As they found their homes, the pool in the Chamber of the Gods reflected it. With a wave of his hand, Mew forced the pool to show where the Crest of Trust settled.

The pool showed a young boy teasing a small electrical mouse with a stick, tickling the creature when it wasn't looking and moving the stick quickly when the Pichu tried to pounce for it. When the stick dropped, the Pokémon looked up at its trainer, cocking its head to the side as his body began to glow with an icy blue light. Looking down with wonder, his eyes focused on his right hand as a symbol appeared there.

_You were right_. Nayru spoke telekinetically, sounding surprised. _The Trainer of Trust is the Forger's friend._

_That is exactly why._ Mewtwo said, sounding smug. _The Forger's trust in the boy is unparalleled by any other. However, should that change, so will the Crest change its Holder to one most trusted by all the Holders._

Down below on Spira, Sam and Zelda turned as one as a beacon of energy began to pulse, sending waves across the world.

"Weird, that energy feels almost lik-."

"It's Nick." Zelda said, cutting off Sam. Her blue eyes sparkling, she turned to the others. "Another Crest Holder has awoken on this world. However, he won't be enough." Zelda turned to look at Yuna, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Yuna, what are the chances of Brother letting us borrow the Celsius for a while?"

Yuna looked dumbfounded. "Oh no, I am NOT speaking to him about that. There is no way. Wait, why do we need it?"

Zelda turned to Sora. "The Celsius should be fair easy to convert to a Gummi Ship." She said, ignoring Yuna's protestations. "I have the knowledge, but you have the supply. Between us, we should be able to get the Celsius into Gummi Space. Ten Crest Holders should be enough to activate the Genesis Shrines, from my calculations. We need to travel to get the final two however."

Sam blinked, wondered if she would speak English soon. He jumped when she turned to him. "You're the one going to be driving Sam, you and Sora. The World Highways haven't been travelled in millennia, and you're the only one who can activate them.

"Me?" Sam squeaked, before clearing his voice. "Me? Oh no, if you can convince Brother to give up the Celsius, I am not flying it! I failed my driving lesson, and that was _before_ I went on my Pokémon Journey!"

Instead of arguing with him, Zelda simply smiled wickedly. With a sinking in his heart, Sam's legs chose the wisest of choices when faced with that look. He turned heel and ran.


	17. Chapter 16: Ancient Secrets

Chapter Sixteen  
Ancient Secrets

_I've become so numb,  
I can't feel you there.  
__I've become so tired,  
So much more aware._

_I'm becoming this,  
All I want to do__Is be more like me,  
And less like you._

_Numb  
Linkin' Park_

Looking down at the crowd below him, Sam frowned as he tried to pick Nick out of the crowd. It had taken his friend some time to be convinced that he too was now chosen to save the Universe, the ability to summon claws made out of ice definitely went a long way to help, but there was still the issue of convincing him they were about to head to other planets in a space ship made out of something that sounded like it should be in a sweet store.  
Yeah, even to Sam it sounded ridiculous.

"We're still missing something." Turning, Sam found Sora looking at the ship with the same expression that Sam had turned on the crowd. His look of puzzlement broke as he snapped his fingers. "Of course, the Engine Gummi."

Sam's eyebrows came together with an almost audible click. "You mean I've been out here getting sunburnt for nothing?" He demanded. Looking over at Sam, Sora grinned.

"Sunburn? You're not getting sunburnt." He said lazily, before walking into the ship. Looking down at his arms, Sam frowned as he noticed he indeed was not getting sunburnt, probably a first for him. Even while travelling in the humid lands of Dictioy he'd needed to slather on sun block every few hours. Jumping as he heard an ear-shattering 'clang', he hid a smile as he heard the whimper from Brother. In the end it had taken Yuna's asking him, with the promise of spreading the word of the Gullwings across the Universe to get him to agree to lend the Celsius. It seemed Rikku and Buddy had had words with Brother as well.

A second clang and a howl of misery from Brother precluded the arrival of Zelda. Like Sam, she searched the crowd for a face. When she was unable to find the person, she turned to Sam. "Would you know where Nick is?" She frowned when he shook his head. "Apparently we're missing a part. I know where it is, but we need someone to get it for us. Tidus has volunteered, and so has Kairi, but Nick would probably do well to go as well."

Giving a sigh, Sam raised his fingers to his mouth, letting out two short whistles. Waiting a second, and hearing no reply, he repeated the two shrill sounds, grinning when he heard the same two notes repeated back at him from behind the ship. "He's coming."

"Yes, I guessed." Zelda said wryly, rubbing her long, pointed ears. His attention drawn to Zelda's small oddity, Sam cocked his head to the side.

"Why're your ears like that?" He asked curiously, slapping down another cube of the Gummi stuff. "I mean, everyone around here has rounded ears like me, just not you or Link. Why is that? Evolution?"

Zelda blinked. "A common legend among my people explains that Hylians, what Link and I are, are chosen by the Gods. Our ears enable us to hear messages from the Goddess, and also are a symbol of our magical powers."

Sam frowned. "Magic?"

Zelda grinned, showing all her teeth. "Magic."

"Uh..."

"What's up?"

Looking down at Nick, Sam quirked his mouth. "Zelda has a mission for you, if you want."

Nick squinted, the sun glinting off of the ship into his eyes. "Depends." He drawled. "Where's it to?"

* * *

  
"You have a portal to the afterlife here?" Nick asked, almost bouncing on his heels in excitement. "I mean, that's unheard of in my world! We have ghosts, well, ghost Pokémon, but ghosts aren't really that normal. Where is this place?"

Tidus had a slightly glazed look over his eyes, while Kairi was almost as interested as Nick. At Nick's question, Tidus halted and pointed up the path. "There."

'There' was a glowing portal with strange glyphs circling the ring that surrounded the shining barrier. Looking up at it, his mouth open, Nick let out a soft 'Ooh', before realising Kairi and Tidus were getting ahead of him. Trotting to catch up with them, he stopped again when they were just at the foot of the portal. Kairi stopped as well, looking up at it while Tidus simply kept walking, melding with the white light of the portal and passing through to the other side. Exchanging looks, Kairi and Nick followed him through, feeling a strange buzzing through their bodies until they emerged on the other side.

What they encountered as a stone's throw from the enclosed tunnel of Guadosalem. While they were on a hovering platform, what was beneath them could only be deemed a paradise. Sweeping waterfalls roared, creating an echo in the seemingly endless place. On small islands framed by the waterfalls and the rivers that supplied them were meadows filled with soft flowers which seemed to compel people to lie down and sleep. Suppressing a yawn just by look at them, Nick shook his head and jogged up some stairs onto the platform, hoping to wake himself up.

Tidus looked around, a small frown on his brow. "Now where would that Gummi piece be?"

"Zelda said I was capable of opening the path to it." Kairi said slowly, standing next to Tidus. "What can I do no-one else can?"

"Use your weapon thing?" Nick suggested. "I mean, from what Zelda explain to me, they haven't been around for ages, so maybe they can unlock them." He stopped, and then quirked his mouth. "What exactly ARE your weapon things?"

"These." Holding her hands out, Kairi screwed up her face for a second, looking pained. In response, a shimmer of light developed around Kairi's hands, turning into the delicate form of the Papal Gloves. With a satisfied noise, Kairi lifted her hands up to inspect the gloves. "Now what?"

Nick shrugged. "I got you this far. Command something to happen? Pray to the gods? Dress in drag and do the hula?" His eyes sparkled at the last one. "I know _I_ wouldn't mind that."

Kairi made a face at him. "Command something to happen, huh?" She murmured. Pulling her gloved hands closer to her, she thrust them out suddenly, expelling a bolt of energy. As it sailed off into the distance, eventually fizzling out, Kairi frowned down. "I don't think so."

Extending his own hand, a trail of mist wrapped its way down to his knuckles. Pooling over them, a thin blade of ice appeared, growing steadily longer until five blades spread out past Nick's clenched fist. In the soft fog of the Farplane, the Bagh Nakh almost disappeared amongst the clouds of white. Raising his other arm, this one similarly cloaked in his Crest Weapon, Nick pointed the tips in the same direction as Kairi. Ten sharp spears of ice shot in the same direction, speeding through the air to eventually collide together in a shower of ice and hail. Frowning, Nick shrugged.  
Kairi however was focused on the Gloves. When the Bagh Nakh appeared, the Gloves began to glow with a faint ice blue which was quickly drowned out by the signature pink that was representative of the gloves. Blue eyes wide, Kairi yelped when the Gloves tugged her forward, fingers outstretched. Clenching her hands in the Gloves, Kairi was left hanging underneath them in midair as they sped over the Farplane.

"Help me!" She wailed as she was carried away. Looking at the girl with dumbstruck looks on their face, Tidus was the first to react. Dashing after her, he launched himself after Kairi, missing the girl by mere inches.

With a sigh, Nick moved into action. His fingers grabbed two Pokéballs from his belt, flinging them out. "Insecticide, grab her! Antivirus, grab him!"

In the explosion of red energy, a large butterfly-like creature emerged. The Butterfree, an odd one with inverted colours, swooped after Kairi, an aura of energy surrounding it as it unleashed its psychic powers to keep her aloft.

Tidus on the other hand, landed with a hard thump on the tough surface of a strange Pokémon seemingly made of hard lines. When it gave out a strange, electronic noise, Tidus blinked in surprise. Antivirus the Porygon, plainly not worried about normal laws of physics simply floated upwards, landing next to Nick with Tidus sitting awkwardly on its head.  
Insecticide, on the other hand, looked quite bored as it floated after Kairi. Slowly, the platform faded from sight, lost among the mists of the Farplane. Travelling over the endless meadows and fields of flowers, the two, forming an extremely odd pair continued on. Slowly the flowers turned into odd configurations of metal, guarded by several large monsters which howled a challenge to the Butterfree. Ignoring their calls, Insecticide flew on, his wings stirring up the clouds. As one floating monster came up, intent on mischief, it was driven back by a riveting beam of energy shot from the tip of Insecticide's antennae. Screeching in pain, it dropped, the beam having seared a hole in its wing.

The Gloves pulsed with a soft light, intent on their destination. Finally, on top of a giant pinnacle of metal, they gently set Kairi down. Her Butterfree escort landed lightly on his tiptoes, before glowing a pale blue fringed in white. Instantly Nick, Tidus and Antivirus appeared, the young Porygon having grown attached to Tidus's head. Nick, deciding fair was fair since Tidus had been on Antivirus' head had let it continue.

"Here?" Nick's voice echoed in this abandoned part of the world.

Kairi nodded. "I feel something here. Something... I don't know, it feels like I'm home."

Under her hands, the ground began to glow as something was drawn up from the depths of the world. Stumbling as they tried to keep their balance, Kairi was the only one that remained standing as the entire platform they were on shimmered with a white light, forming into the appearance of a Keyhole.

"I think we found it." Tidus said wryly, getting to his feet. He balanced precariously on the edge of the Keyhole, but didn't fall in. Squinting over at Kairi, who appeared to be floating, he grinned. "That looks like fun."

Kairi sighed, her brown hair falling in front of her eyes. "I'm almost out of fun for the day." She said wearily. "How do I get down from here?"

"Insecticide?" Nick suggested.

Looking over at the butterfly Pokémon, Kairi made a pleading face. In answer, the psychic glow returned to the Butterfree, levitating her away from the centre of the Keyhole. Once she was safe on solid ground again, she sighed, collapsing to her knees.

"What's this thing do?"

Looking up at Nick, Kairi shook her head. "We can't do anything about it, I think. It's a Keyhole; it's where the Heart of the world is. If the Heart is taken, then this place," She waved around to emphasise her point, "Becomes lost to the Heartless."

A look of dawning comprehension covered Nick's face. "Oh, that's what happened to my world..." He paused, and then said delicately, "And the people who live on that world."

"I'm not sure." Kairi said softly. "I think they become Heartless, or find a way to escape the planet." She got to her feet shakily. "So, where is this Gummi Piece?"

Tidus looked into the dark depths of the Keyhole, chewing on his lip gently. When he frowned suddenly, Kairi and Nick followed his line of sight, spying something shimmering deep under them. Stretching out her gloved hand, Kairi held it palm up, gently lifting as she did. In answer, the shimmer grew larger until they could see it clearly. Floating on a small puff of air which sparkled slightly in Nick's vision, the golden Gummi Piece looked like a priceless treasure in their barren location.

"I think that's it." Tidus said. Dashing forward once more, he sailed over the Keyhole, jerking Antivirus from his head as he did. Snatching the Gummi Piece from midair, he landed. Looking down at his hand, he grinned and waved the Gummi Piece at the two young teenagers.

"I coulda done that too." Nick grumbled. Beside him, Insecticide crooned, a sound which Nick was almost certain was the Pokémon's laugh.


	18. Chapter 17: Oh My Goddess

Chapter Seventeen  
Oh My Goddess

_You don't run with the crowd  
You go your own way.  
You don't play after dark  
You light up my day.  
Got your own kind of style  
That sets you apart.  
Baby, that's why you captured my heart._

_I know sometimes you feel like you don't fit in,  
And this world doesn't know what you have within.  
When I look at you, I see something rare;  
A rose that can grow anywhere,  
And there's no one I know that can compare._

_'What Makes You Different (Makes You Beautiful)'  
Backstreet Boys_

Looking down at her clipboard, Phoebe Halliwell, the middle sister of the legendary trio of sisters called the Charmed Ones, sighed as she looked down at her younger sister, one Paige Matthews. "Well my boyfriend moved to Hong Kong, I'm thoroughly depressed, but I still managed to sign up six people. and you have?"

Paige groaned. "I have none people."

"Hmm, none people." Phoebe replied. Opening her mouth to say something else, she suddenly gasped, her body seizing up slightly.

_Ten figures stood in a group, an aura of light surrounding them. Looking across the faces of the ten people, a range of faces who each told a different story of hardship. The first boy, a young child who looked like he should still be with his mother, hefted a sword, flames dancing around his hand. The second boy, older, looking slightly more weathered, casually twirled a staff, his hair lying flat as if he had just been swimming. The third figure, a girl, grinned at Phoebe, waving to her with gloved hands._

Before the vision could continue further, Phoebe felt herself drawn out of it. Frowning in surprise, she met Paige's eyes, which held a questioning look in them.

"A premonition?" Paige asked quietly, her tired face covered with a look of suspicion.

Nodding, Phoebe looked around the bar, then back at her sister. "I'm not sure what, but something big is coming."

"Haven't I been saying something like that?" Paige complained, the dreaded hint of a whine entering her voice. Ignoring her sister, Phoebe beckoned to her, leaving the bar as quickly as possible, heading home to Halliwell Manor.

* * *

A bolt of lightning shot from Matt's hands, entering the body of the demon attacking him. Giving a scream of pain, the demon shuddered, and then exploded, her body overwhelmed by the torrent of lightning flooding her body.

"That's what, seven today?" He asked his older sister, Mai. Walking up beside him, her hair flickering as flames ran through it, somehow not affecting it, Mai nodded.

"Seven in one morning." She said, her voice containing a natural drawl which turned everything into a sarcastic sentence. "I'd say we should check to see if the Charmed Ones are still alive, but you're not blowing things up." Eyeing his hands, she frowned. "Mind not pointing those at me?"

"Huh?" He replied absently. "Oh." He tucked his hands into his pants."I dunno why I'm doing that now," He said cheerfully, "But I like it."

"You would." Mai grumbled. "Come on, let's go home. Mum should be able to help us out."

Nodding, Matt turned on his heel, disappearing from sight with a small 'pop'. Glaring at where he had previously, Mai yelled, knowing he couldn't hear her, "Hey, that's cheating!"

Giving a groan of irritation, she hefted her bag onto her back. Life had changed in months that had passed since she, her brother and her younger sister had gained their powers which had been sealed by their grandmother after she had realised her grandchildren would not be the legendary Charmed Ones. It was true, they weren't, but they were the Heirs to the Charmed Legacy. If the Halliwell Sisters died without having children, then Mai, Matt and their sister Megan would take over the Charmed mantel of power.

Though, hopefully, that would never happen. Inhaling slowly, Mai let go the rush of anger filling her body. In answer, the flames living in her hair slowly died, their emotional fuel source dying. Mai's abilities were formidable, even without being Charmed. She was a witch power over the flames, and more recently, ice. The worst thing about it was that her abilities always began to show when she was angry, as shown when her hair would spontaneously burst into flame. For a girl used to repressing and hiding emotions, such a clear indication of her feelings was hard to get used to.  
It was particularly difficult with Matt's abilities as well. The obnoxious, arrogant sport jock had been karma's own little joke in their family, he had developed the ability of Empathy, feeling other people's emotions, or, if they had them, powers whenever he was around them. He had also gained the ability to Blink, or teleport, roughly a month ago, and just yesterday had suddenly began throwing lightning. Muttering to herself about how unfair life was, Mai skulked her way back home.  
Their little sister, Megan, was the one who could use her powers the least. She had the power of the Bard's Gift; the ability to compel people to do as she wanted, feel what she wanted or think like she wanted, all by singing. Just by singing 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' she could make all the nearby animals follow the closest girl, as Mai had found out shortly after they had all developed their powers.

Mai suddenly froze. She was in a small alleyway close to her house. What was unusual was the pit of dark energy which was lying in the middle of it. Arching a fine, golden eyebrow, Mai flicked her hand open, a tiny ember of fire lighting up in it.

The energy seemed to sense her notice. Three small creatures, reminding Mai of little black imps, crawled their way out of the sludge-like substance. Raising her hand, she flicked her fingers, raising a small wall of fire around herself. That done, she swept her hand upwards to eye level, focusing on her hand until a large ball of flame nestled there. The creatures seemed disturbed by the source of light which had so suddenly sprung into existence. Taking careful aim, she threw the fireball, willing it to split into three. Zooming into the creatures, the flame engulfed them. Shaking slightly, they disappeared in a cloud of purple orbs.

The pool of darkness didn't seem to enjoy that. It began to rise out of the ground slowly, being slightly more dramatic than it needed to. Rolling her eyes, Mai jumped back with a scream as a large branch suddenly dropped onto the creature, narrowly missing the girl. Looking up, she bit her lip, realising the heat she had created may have been slightly more than the tree could take. The creature currently under the tree branch wasn't too happy either. Taking the opportunity, Mai raised her hand to her lips, blowing a frigid gust of wind directly at the demon. The being froze, ice encasing it's body. Coupled under the weight of the tree branch, it began to slowly break apart, until it collapsed entirely.  
Nodding her head in satisfaction, Mai began walking again, stopping beside the tree branch. Touching it as if saying thank you, she continued on home.

* * *

"_And this button?"_

"Speeds us up."

"_And this one_?"

"Slows us down."

"_And this one_?"

"It's the same as before!"

".... _What's it do again_?"

Sam resisted the urge to cover his face. Sora was looking slightly twitchy, the usual effect of prolonged exposure to Artemis. Ignoring the two, Sam looked out the front wind screen of the Celsius at the field of stars that made up the Universe.

"_What happens if I press the big red button?_"

Sora inhaled slowly. "We fire a missile." He said slowly.

Sam suddenly leaned forward, squinting. Ignoring the sparks of energy which were running in and out of his body. Being the fuel source of the Gummi Ship wasn't entirely comfortable, but Sam could deal with it. It just made him slightly antsy, and irritable. "Sora, I think we're coming up to a world."

"Huh?" The Keyblade Master looked up from where he was physically restraining the Marshtomp from pressing the shiny red button. "Oh, uh, gimme a sec."

Pulling Artemis's Pokéball from its magnetic hold on his belt, Sam pointed it at Artemis. "Artemis, quit bugging Sora." A beam of red energy shot from the button at the front of the red and white sphere, hitting Artemis and turning him into energy. Being sucked into the Pokéball, Artemis gave a wail of objection, until the Pokéball closed over him. "What're we do here?"

"We slow down." Sora replied. Hitting a button, the control panel changed to better suit Gummi Space, the ship shuddered, slowing down. The world they were coming up on looked similar to the Pokémon World, and even Spira. Slowing to a stop in the outer atmosphere, Sora sighed, collapsing into one the chair in front of the control panel. "I swear, next time Artemis comes out on a Gummi voyage, he's confined to the Cabin."

"Agreed." Sam nodded. Looking down at the planet, Sam frowned. "How do we get down there?"

"There's a teleporter installed on here, remember?" Sora replied. "We can keep the Gummi Ship in space, and be able to get to it at any time."

"Fair enough." Sam replied. "Ok, well, let's head down."

Sora waved lazily at Sam. "You go on. I still have to check out some of the things on the ship."

"Uh..."

"Ooh, we're here?" Sam yelped as a large form knocked him to the side. Glaring over at Nick, Sam shook his head. Tidus came up behind Nick, looking just as interested as the young boy was, this being his first trip off world.

"Yeah, we're here." Answered Sora, sounding tired, reaching over and flipping a switch. "Teleporters are on, so you guys can head on down."

Nick gave a sound of excitement. "Awesome! Race ya!"

He bolted. Looking after Nick, Sam shook his head in amusement, following him to the lift with Tidus in his wake. Entering the slightly cramped space, Sam frowned down at the panel. "Engine Room, right?"

"Yeah." Pressing the button, Tidus looked thoughtful. "Teleporter is under the door as you enter the Engine Room."

"Alright." The lift set off, lowering two levels. Opening up on the corridor, Sam smirked as he saw the rest of the group already in the room. Looking past Kairi, Zelda smiled as she saw Sam.

"There you are. You get to go first."

Sam blinked. "Me? Why?"

"You're the Forger." Zelda replied. "The sooner you begin making friends, the more powerful we get collectively."

"Uh, right." Sam replied uncertainly. "Ok, lemme through." Link moved out of the way, letting the teenager through. As he passed, Sam noted the grey look on Link's face, it seemed space travel didn't agree with him so well. Stepping into the circle of the teleporter, Sam looked blankly at the rest of the group. "Now wha-?"

His answer was cut off as a white jet of energy surrounded him. Feeling his stomach drop out, Sam attempted to ignore the sensation when it suddenly felt like he had been hit by a giant hand. Sliding along the suddenly appearing ground, Sam gasped, holding his stomach. Tears coming down his cheeks, he fought to breathe, finally sucking in a grateful gulp of air. Looking up, his eyes widened as he took in the surroundings. White mist floated everywhere, wrapping around intricate columns. People in brown robes wandered around, but a vast majority were looking at him. Realising he was slowly becoming surrounded, Sam gulped, fighting to get to his feet. Lightning slammed into the ground, or cloud, at his feet, making him jumped back, almost tripping over Kairi as she materialised into the same place he had been. Seeing another lightning bolt being generated, Sam flinched, feeling something in his mind flex instinctively. The blue shield which had protected him back on the Pokémon World reappeared, surrounding the Crest Holders spawning from midair.  
Flinching as lightning bolts slammed into his shield, Sam winced as a faint tingling entered his body. Feeling a hand clasp onto his shoulder, he jumped.

"So, Sam, good job at making friends so far. I think they really like you." Nick said wryly.


	19. Chapter 18: Divine Judgement

Chapter Eighteen:  
Divine Judgement

_I won't give up.  
Now I won't break down.  
__Sooner than it seems life turns around.  
And I will be strong_

_Even if it all goes wrong,__When I'm standing in the dark,__I'll still believe.  
Someone is watching over me._

_Someone's Watching Over Me  
Hilary Duff_

"The Council of Elders will now come to order." A crisp voice demanded. Looking outside of his magical prison, Sam raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed. He supposed that they had been surprised and all, but he wasn't amused that seven Crest Holders, including himself, had been captured within five minutes of landing on the world. Reaching out a hand to poke the buzzing energy of the cage, he shook his head when his hand simply passed through it. "The outsiders to the world of Magirth now stand at trial to defend themselves against the count of trespassing on the Heavens, interfering with the World's resident council of Divine Beings, bypassing the World Walls and flying the face of the law of the Galactic Go-."

The man speaking froze when he saw Kairi blatantly step out of her cage, passing through the field of energy as if it didn't affect her at all. Looking back at the sparking prison, and raising a brown eyebrow in defiance of the man leading the court, Kairi crossed her arms, a look of rebellion on her face.

Sighing, Sam followed suit, passing through the energy to stand at Kairi's side. Seeing his friends ignoring their imprisonment, Tidus tried to follow in their steps, yelping when the energy zapped him. Seeing the look, one of mixed relief and anger, directed at him by the Judge, he crossed his arms and glared back.

"I do not understand the charges." Sam announced. "My friends and I were simply entering your world; there hasn't been time for us to break any rules."

The man glowered down at Sam, a slightly impressive sight in his golden robes. "That is what the charge is based on. Since the World Walls were put into place, the Gods and Divine Beings in charge of our Galaxy decreed no being should attempt to break through the Walls and enter other worlds unless invited by one of our Council."

Zelda stepped up beside Kairi. "And if we do not recognise their authority?"

"You will simply be cast into purgatory without a trial." The Judge said simply.

"Uh, yeah, so, about that trial." Sam cut in as Zelda opened her mouth once more. "Hush." He said, more quietly so Zelda could hear. "_I _don't wanna be sent to purgatory."

"We won't." Zelda replied. "Leave this to me."

Exchanging a look with Kairi, Sam shrugged. Giving him a reassuring smile, Kairi raised her hands, suddenly clothed in the Papal Gloves, banishing the cages keeping their friend imprisoned. Catching the eye-bulging look from the Judge, Sam snickered, inhaling sharply as the stands surrounding the court suddenly filled. Beings cloaked in brown robes sat silently, not a single movement among them. Quirking his mouth, Sam leaned closer to Zelda again. "Yeah, whatever you're doing, do it now."

"Honoured Elders, Guardians of the Forces of White Magic on Magirth, we have come before you despite orders by the Galactic Gods not to visit other worlds." Zelda began, being cut off as the judge waved his hand.

"I'm aware." He said coldly. "And no matter who you are, you do not have the permission of the Galactic Gods to be here."

"We do not answer to the Galactic Gods." Zelda retorted. "Their rulings have no power over the eight of us, nor can their jurisdiction affect us."

"Blasphemy!" The judge spat as the figures watching murmured, clothe rustling as they leaned in to talk to one another. "All beings within this galaxy must answer to the Galactic Gods, no exceptions."

"Who are these gods?" Kairi interrupted simply.

"What?" The Judge blinked, looking astounded.

"Who are these Gods?" Kairi repeated. "I mean, I'm not going to worship a bunch of Gods I know nothing about."

The man drew himself up. "The Galactic Gods are comprised of the members of this Council and the Council of Gods from four other worlds." He snapped. "You are speaking to the Magirth Representative."

"Oh good." Zelda broke in. "This makes things so much easier. Now quiet."

The man sank back down into his throne, looking as if he had been physically slapped. Drawing herself up, Zelda strode forward, a delicate image of pink and white among the clouds of the court room. "Members of the Council of Elders, as of this moment I reverse the decision to imprison us set down upon us by this Elder." She waved her hand towards the judge. Looking directly at the man, Zelda arched her eyebrow. "We are here under orders from the Supreme Gods."

Again, a murmured wave of shock sounded around the room. Sam watched with interest as the Elder up on the throne turned an interesting colour of purple, before smacking his hand down. "Blasphemy! For such lies, you will spend an eternity within purgatory."

Zelda sighed and shook her head. "You'll wish later that you had not done that."

That was all the warning he received before the room darkened. The ceiling, an endless abyss of blue, turned a midnight blue, a white and gold speck of light dropping out of it. Floating down lightly, his eye wings spread to keep himself aloft, Seraphimon, God of Light and Darkness, floated down until he was just above the fog that covered the ground.

The reaction was tumultuous. The robed figures around the room dropped to their knees, genuflecting before the seraphim god. Only the Crest Holders and the Elder remained standing. Looking enraged when the Crest Holders did not drop, the Elder pointed a finger at Zelda, who was smiling serenely, looking as if she were simply out on a picnic. "My lord, these mortals gave sullied your name and broken the laws set down by my Council."

_Whose council?_

The Elder suddenly froze, drawing a deep breath in. "The Council of Galactic Gods, my Lord. I had a mere slip of the tongue." He answered smoothly.

_The young girl proclaimed herself above such a Council. What was your reply, Elder?_

The Elder's eyes narrowed. "I informed her that this was impossible, my lord." He added the final title reluctantly. "There is no body in this Universe above my-uh, the Council of Galactic Gods other than the Supreme Gods of course."

Seraphimon floated patiently. _Are you aware of recent happenings in this Universe, Elder?_

The Elder paused, and then shook his head. "We are forbidden to look outside the World Walls on this world, my lord."

_An unfortunate law. If you had, then you would have seen the foretelling of the destruction of this Universe. The ancient Crests have been called, Elder; you have detained and arrested their representatives._

The man's eyes widened, making him looked like a stunned Magikarp, Sam noted with amusement. "But the Crests are still not above my power." He stammered, abandoning all pretences of shared power. "I hold power over the entire galaxy!"

_And the Crests hold sway over the very forces this Universe is made from. Your power over their Holders is nonexistent, the Crest Holders answer to no council by the Council of Universal Gods._

Sam snickered, drawing a glare from the Elder. Placing an innocent look on his face, Sam raised his left hand, back up, showing the glowing blue symbol of Friendship.

_Desperate times call for desperate measures, as your saying goes. _Seraphimon's voice boomed through their beings, felt, rather than head. _The Primary Crest Holders are second in power only to the Universal Gods._

Seraphimon suddenly shot upwards in a column of white, gold and blue. _I have sent for one of the Patrons to escort you to your goal._ His voice made it obvious that he believed this to be over. Though his body was gone, Seraphimon's voice still sounded. _After her objective is complete, she will return here to discuss the responsibilities of a Galactic God, as she is the Pokémon World's representative on that Council._

Looking back up at the Elder, Sam could have sworn he saw him twitch. "Fine." He snapped, looking much lesser impressive from his new position on the ground. "In this case, I order the eight of you to -."

"No." Feeling much more confident, Sam shook his head. "You heard the big angel guy. We're here to do something else, not listen to you."

An explosion of green suddenly filled Sam's vision. Giving a yelp, he stumbled back, finding himself looking up at a large bird. Vibrant green feathers, reminding Sam of leaves, made up the main colour of the creature's plumage, while red feathers outlined the green. Black antennae moved independently of one another, while a large tail arched over the creature's body to fall at her feet. Her wings nestled against her body while she surveyed the scene before her.

Gulping, Sam simply stared at as the Legendary Bird Pokémon, Echotrance, shuffled around until she could see the Elder.

"Aramis, what has been going on here?" Her beak opened to reveal a light voice, like the whisper of moving leaves. "I was told to arrive here as soon as possible."

The Elder, Aramis, Sam corrected himself, look at the member of the Wings of Council with something that looked close to disdain. "I was informed that we have no power over these individuals."

"Perhaps you should attend the Galactic Council more frequently, Wise One." Echotrance answered diplomatically. "The news was passed down to myself, Mindy, Baihumon, Valoo and Carbuncle at the last Council, which you were mysteriously absent from."

Aramis scowled. "As the current appointed leader of the Council, I do not see why I sho-."

"Should not attend every meeting? I understand." Echotrance cut through. "I will take my leave now, however. The Crest Holders must complete their circle. Excuse me."

Turning around, she looked at the group. "If you would hold onto my feathers, honoured ones, I will take you to the two remaining members of your group."

Sam blinked in surprise, and then sighed. It seemed today was only going to get stranger.


	20. Chapter 19: Light's Champions

Chapter Nineteen  
Light's Champions

It Will All Be Mine,  
Power to divine,  
I'll tell the sun to shine.  
And only me.

It will all be mine,  
Until the end of time.  
When this perfect crime,  
Makes history.

Giovanni  
Pokémon Live

The wind echoed across the arid plains of the Australian outback. Sweat collected on Matt's brow, making him mutter as he swept it away. It wasn't the first time he had had to venture into the desert surrounding Uluru, the place seemed to attract demons and magical creatures by the truckload, but he had rarely had to do it. The natives had their own brand of powerful magic that often kept demons away, but for the truly powerful creatures, Matt and his sisters had to be called in. Looking up at the clear blue sky, Matt glared at the sun as it beat down heat upon him. To his magic, the power of empathy, there wasn't a sentient being nearby for miles.  
As he thought that, the world quaked. The seas churned as they felt their allegiance to the world's gods shift, the sun burnt more fiercely, the wind raced across the plains. Around Matt, dingoes howled their disapproval at the new power.

Looking behind him at Mai, he smiled weakly. "You feel that?"

* * *

"Oh my god."

Elise turned around, looking at her advice columnist with worry. "What, what is it?"

Tearing her attention away from her younger sister, Phoebe focused on Elise for a second. "Nothing. Hold that thought." Walking past her boss, Phoebe hurried over to Paige.

"What thought!?" Elise muttered to herself, a tone of harassment in her voice.

"Paige, are you out of your mind?" Phoebe hissed as she drew close to her sister, scanning the room for anyone who may have noticed her sister's less than normal entry, via magical teleportation.

Giving Phoebe a superior look, Paige grinned. "As it turns out, I am not!" She returned. "Listen, we are in big trouble."

"Yeah, you almost exposed our magic to a room full of people!"

Paige waved that away. "No, listen. I studied the I Ching, tarot cards, runes and tea leaves and they're all giving me the same reading."

"That you need a good night's sleep?" Phoebe asked primly.

Paige shook her head. "No, that there's something big going on in the supernatural world. If my reading is right, it's not just thunder and the heat, we could be in store for a big earthquake or worse!"

* * *

Looking around at the rumbling terrain and earth around him, Sam frowned and muttered to himself. While the legendary bird of the forest was capable of moving the Crest Holders rather quickly, her landings needed some severe work before Sam would be willing to try them again. The resulting magical impact, while not painful, had been jarring, and the earth had taken the impact more than the Crest Holders. Looking up at the bird reproachfully, Sam winced as a flare of pain shot up in his neck. Stretching the muscle out, Sam reached his free hand down to help Nick to his feet. The earth slowly settled down around them; however Sam could see some trees disrupted by the localised shudder.

"I apologise." Echotrance's silvery voice floated on the bare gusts of wind that stretched across Sam's skin. "It has been quite some time since I have had to transport such a large group like that, it appears my abilities are not as sharp as I believed them to be."

Stretching out his arm, Sam looked around. They appeared to be in a large park, judging from the now destroyed pieces of furniture and small buildings around them. Giving a sheepish grin to the onlookers, most screaming, he turned and glared at the Legendary Bird, who had a look on her face that could only be described as embarrassed. It was only when the entire scene froze that Sam turned back around, frowning. The Crest Holders and Echotrance were still moving, but otherwise, it looked like they were caught in a moment in time.

Frowning, Sam scanned the crowd, not liking this new development. Turning, he jumped as he saw two figures who hadn't been there previously. Dressed in white suits, they made a stark contrast to the rest of the crowd. Blinking in surprise at their appearance, Sam was suddenly thrown back as one raised a hand, unleashing an epic wave of energy spilled from the hands of one of the men. Giving a scream of pain, Sam flew through the air, slamming against an old tree which had somehow survived Echotrance's landing.  
At that point, one of the men gave a scream of his own. Looking down at his partner in surprise, the unharmed man raised an unimpressed eyebrow, changing to a look of horror and surprise when the man scream and was absorbed into the Master Sword which had been impaled through his stomach.

"You? What are you?" Demanded the man. Looking carefully down at the point of the blade now being levelled towards him, the man backed away slightly.

"We are the Crest Holders, Cleaner." Zelda answered coldly. She and Kairi were by Sam, moving him into a more comfortable position. A look of concentration was on Kairi's face as she cast a spell, a small pair of bells appearing above Sam. As they jingled, a shower of golden energy left the bells, coating Sam's stomach, leaving unblemished skin in the way. Her job now done, Kairi relaxed slightly, giving Sam a light slap on the face to wake him up. "I assume your superiors have not yet informed you to stay away."

"We are magically empowered by both sides girl." Came the even colder reply. "The Elders and the Demonic Council have stated that I am beyond good and evil, time and space."

"We represent a higher council." Kairi snapped her cheeks red with fury. "Now _leave_!" Pointing her finger, a rush of white energy left it, surrounding the Cleaner and making him disappear with a pop. Looking down at her hand in confusion, Kairi instead rolled her eyes and knelt back down next to Sam, who was beginning to stir.

"Ow." Groaned Sam, his hand lazily drifted to the back of his head, wincing as it came into contact with a bump. "What happened?"

Looking down at the boy below her, Echotrance inclined her head. "You were attacked by magical forces. I apologise once more, I had assumed my presence would protect you from the magical guiding forces of good."

Sam looked up at Echotrance blearily. "S'ok." He muttered. Looking past her and at the other Crest Holders, who were currently smiling oddly at the crowd around them.

"I must leave you now." Echotrance said quietly. "The Galactic Council of Gods has been called to take place on the Destiny Islands. Crest Holders, Lords and Ladies, I will meet you again in the future." Nick hurriedly moved away from Echotrance, narrowly avoiding her wings as she spread them wide. Giving a trill of song, Sam shook his head as Echotrance disappeared with a small pop, leaving a green feather in her place.

"Well, that was fun." He muttered, getting slowly to his feet. He needn't have bothered, as the ground beneath him rippled again, a woman with red hair appearing in the place Echotrance had been. Surveying the situation, she turned to Kairi and Sam. Moving forward confidently, she crossed her arms.

"What are you?" She asked clearly.

Sam and Kairi exchanged baffled looks. "Human?" Sam ventured as a guess. From the look on the woman's face, one of mixed amusement and seriousness, it wasn't the answer she had wanted.

"Sorry, I'm Willow Rosenberg." Willow smiled, looking around. Looking at her curiously, Sam noted a strange brown glimmer of energy surrounding her body. "Whatever then ten of you are, you're radiating more magic than I can use myself."

His vision still blurring, Sam blinked, the aura of energy disappearing. Judging from the look on Nick's face, he could see it too.

At that moment, the energy surged from Willow, striking towards Kairi and entering a visible form. Raising her hands, now clothed in the Papal Gloves, the blast absorbed into the fabric of the gloves. As one, the closest Crest Holders, Nick, Sam, Link and Yuna attacked. Nirvana threw out its own wave of energy, coupled with a gale-force wind shot from Yuna's Crest Weapon, Stratus. Link and Nick stabbed a force field as it came into existence. Once the wind had died down, they were left looking at an ashen-faced woman, holding up her hands in surrender.

"I'm sorry." She wheezed. "I've just never met as people as powerful as you." Closing her eyes, she slumped, bracing herself on her knees, her fists clenching the tight green fabric of her skirt. "Are you good, or evil?" She asked, sounding like she dreaded the answer.

"We're good."

That wasn't an answer she had expected. Looking at Kairi, the one she had attacked, Willow frowned. "You're good?"

"Yes." Sam reaffirmed. "Chosen especially to be good, really."

Willow blinked, and then grinned, looking genuinely happy. "This is a first. Usually the people I meet tend to be evil. Especially people of your power levels." Looking around, as if scarcely believing her eyes, she suddenly froze again, face suspicious. "What're your plans here?"

"We aren't harming anyone, Willow." Zelda replied, striding out of the crowd of witnesses. "We're merely here to collect the rest of our group, and save the Universe. We don't intend harm to anyone."

Will shook her head. "I'm sorry, it's just new. What ARE you?"

"We're the Crest Holders." Zelda said simply. "Beings chosen from throughout the Universe to use good emotions to combat the Darkness."

"Good emotions?"

Sam shrugged. "Like Friendship."

Tidus extended his hand, showing his Crest. "And Determination."

"Or Hope." Zelda said quietly, her attention intent on a figure in the crowd.

Sam blinked. None of the Crest Holders had Hope, unless... Turning, he looked into the blue eyes of a boy, his own age. A quick glance down at his hand confirmed a Crest. His face breaking into a smile, Sam sighed. They had found one of the missing Crests.

"What's going on here?"

A woman behind the boy demanded attention. Looking at her, brown hair midway down her back, Sam cocked his head to the side. She didn't look dangerous, but experiences in the Pokémon World had told him never to judge a book by its cover.

"Ah, the Halliwells and the Davidsons." Zelda said, sounding delighted. "Willow, I assume you've heard of the Charmed Ones?"

Willow blinked. "The who?"

It was Zelda's turn to look dumbfounded. "The Charmed Ones, the most powerful witches in history."

Willow eyed the group before her. "The six of them? They're the most powerful?" She had a glint of competitiveness in her eyes.

Zelda sighed. "The Charmed Ones, the Halliwells, the three in the back." She explained.

Willow surveyed the three gravely. Sam felt a ripple of magic surging through the air again, this one more benevolent than the last. When the feeling retreated, she looked more respectful.

"And who're you?" Asked the woman in the middle.

"I'm Willow Rosenberg." Willow replied.

"And we're the Crest Holders." Nick answered.

The woman raised an eyebrow. "I'm Piper." She answered. "This is Phoebe," She indicated the woman to her right. "And this is Paige."

Paige waved. Giving her a small smile, Sam looked back at the three in front, two girls, and one boy. "And you guys?"

The oldest girl looked down her nose, however, her brother cut in. "I'm Matt." He explained, keeping a wary eye on the crowd, who was beginning to disperse somewhat. "Did you guys do anything... out of the ordinary?"

"What, magic?" Kairi asked.

Matt winced. "Yeah, that."

Kairi shrugged. "Once or twice."

Piper closed her eyes, almost as if praying for patience. "Great." Turning to the crowd, she frowned. "Um, what you saw was just some special effects. Pretty neat, huh?"

Her words were drowned out when, with a roar, a funnel of wind sprang out of the suddenly stormy sky, slamming into the ground. Losing his footing, Sam yelled.

Looking up at the tornado, Yuna frowned, aiming Stratus. With certain accuracy, she shot, the bullet of compressed air heading into the heart of the tornado. The winds dispersed, leaving a woman in a toga in its place. Eying the three groups in front of her, she raised a hand, sending a bolt of fire towards Willow, who reflected it into a tree. Moving her hands in a waving motion, Piper froze the many people falling through the air, turning her attention to the woman before her.

"Zeus, Angel! Help catch everyone!" Sam ordered, landing on his feet heavily, throwing two Pokéballs as his knees buckled. Giving a gasp of pain, he winced, standing up and summoning Nirvana. The woman's eyes widened with rage as she viewed the staff, the sight of it seeming to infuriate her.

"So, you're THEIR representatives." She hissed. Sending another bolt of fire, this one at Sam, she hissed as lightning slammed into her, courtesy of Matt. Dodging the fire, hoping it wouldn't hurt anyone; Sam raised Nirvana, calling on the forces of nature.

"WATER!"

His voice boomed through the streets as the heavens opened, yielding their load of water. A heavy downpour rained down, soaking everything from head to toe. Raising his hands, Sam commanded the water to move, catching the innocent people around them. He screamed with pain as a third bolt of fire soared through the air, passing through his shoulder. The pain overwhelmed his mind, turning the edges of his vision black.

"Paige, get him to the Manor!" He heard Piper yell. She seemed to be calling from a distance. "We'll fight her off."

Seconds later, Sam felt warm hands lightly touching his arm. His world exploded in a cluster of white lights as Paige orbed him out.


	21. Chapter 20: The Banished Pantheon

Chapter Twenty  
The Banished Pantheon

'_You're everywhere.  
You're in the hearts of little children, in the souls of the rich,  
you're the fire that makes people kill and hate,  
the cleansing fire that will cure the world of weakness.'_

_The First Evil  
_

The World trembled, the power upon it almost more than it could take. While Magearth was used to ancient threats upon its soil, the Old Ones, the magical demons, even members of the Pantheon sealed away during the Original Betrayal. However, it had never encountered the combined magical weight of the Heartless, the Old Ones, the Banished Pantheon, the Charmed Ones and the Crest Holders. The magical power was concentrating upon one spot, which was made more difficult by the presence of the world's oldest Hellmouth. The World rarely, if ever, needed to act to save itself, but lately, it had happened too often. It began moving its magic, shifting the energy away from its Gods, the Elders, to one of its oldest children, the continent known as Australia.

The heavens had been torn open by the power of the Crest of Friendship, the rain beat down, drenching the earth below it. Meta, one of the last remaining members of the Banished Pantheon, looked down with distaste upon the individuals before her. Her greatest worry was the white blade before her, its power enough to destroy her. The child who wielded it was an unknown factor, his power undetectable. To test him, she sent a bolt of fire at him, her anger barely detectable as her bolt was snuffed out by the power of a young girl witch. That had been her warning shot.

From behind her, Mai heard the familiar jingle of orbs sounding behind her. Turning slightly, keeping her attention upon the... whatever she was... before her, he eyed the newcomer. He had brown hair, but beyond that, the rain was too heavy to make out his features.

"Don't look in her eyes!" He called. "She has the power to turn you to stone!"

"Not a worry." Mai muttered. The rain had this one boon, however, it obscured everyone's vision. Their numbers had thinned, until it was herself, her younger sister, Piper Halliwell, the red-headed Willow and a young blonde boy with a sword. The rest had disappeared; apparently confident those left behind could take on this creature, or in fear. Her own brother had gone with the group, along with Paige Matthews, to Halliwell Manor.

The two opposing forces were waiting for the other to make the first move, she noted coolly. Whatever the woman was, she had fired a warning shot, Mai could play at that game too. Raising her hand, a circle of fire surrounded the woman. One second later, it died, Mai's power crushed under foot.

This broke the stand-off. Fire leaped from Meta's eyes to consume Willow. Link jumped in the way of the flames, the Master Sword before him. As the flames passed by the Sword, it was drawn into the blade, absorbing the mass of flames. The blade continued in movement, sweeping around until the tip pointed at Meta, a huge ball of flame ejecting from the end of the blade, mirrored back at its originator.

Willow dodged to the left as Link jumped in front of her. Her eyes darkened slightly, the roots of her turning a vivid shade of black. While the fireball leaped from the Master Sword, a crackling snap of energy combined with the fireball, doubling its size and turning it a sickly green colour. Meta simply looked at the fireball as it came back, turning to the side and letting the ball go past her to explode upon an old oak.

Around the edge of the park, people were fleeing the battlefield while certain, less intelligent people came for a closer look. These would find their way impaired as the earth rose up, forming stony barriers that were impassable to any normal person as Mai's mother entered the battle. Jane Davidson, a witch with power over the earth and winds, walked up to add her power to the group defying Meta.

Looking at the people before her, Meta realised she may be outmatched. She began spinning rapidly, turning into a funnel of wind. Twisting her hand, Jane reversed the flow of the funnel, forcing the winds to reject Meta. Caught by surprise, Meta landed in a heap on the ground, quickly getting to her feet, again attempting to destroy someone through the flames from her eyes. Moving in, Link blocked the flames once more, saving the fire rather than expelling it once more. An explosion impacted upon Meta's chest, making her flinch away. Piper arched an eyebrow, unused to not doing much damage. Giving a shrug, she flicked her hands once, more, attacking Meta again and again.

Looking around, Willow frowned as her magical senses tingled. Closing her eyes, she silently cast a spell upon them. Opening her eyes, she found energy rippling from the ground. Looking down at the ground, she saw energy almost leaping from the ground. Frowning, she blinked in surprise. '_There's such an abundance of magic here. Why?_' Looking up at Meta, Willow's eyes narrowed as she realise the sheer level of energy the Titan held by her own. '_We don't seem to be matching her, but how can we shift that?_'

Fighting past the fiery bolts aimed at him, Link drew closer to Meta, the Master Sword drawing in more and more energy. Meta's attacks became more and more frantic as Link came closer, eventually unleashing a massive ball of fire at the boy. Unprepared for it, it smacked Link directly in the torso. Meta's triumphant smirk changed to a shriek of rage as the flames sunk into Link's body, having no effect whatsoever. Ignoring the explosions that Piper kept turning against her, Meta gasped as the Master Sword lashed down, cutting across her stomach. The fabric of her tunic split, but otherwise, Meta was unharmed. Raising her eyebrow, Meta's smirk returned. While she didn't seem to be able to hurt the boy, neither could he hurt her.

Willow watched the exchange with quick eyes, her mind flashing forward to piece together the plans. Jane and Mai were keeping the other humans away from the battlefield, while the boy who had done that odd form of teleportation was simply standing there, seeming to hold his breath. The earth buzzed with power again, and suddenly, Willow knew what to do.

"Piper!" She called. As one, the woman and the boy behind her turned to look at Willow. Getting to her feet, Willow dragged a column of power from the earth, throwing it at Piper. "Use your powers now!"

Gasping from the onrush of power, Piper shuddered. Ignoring Piper's issues to deal with the power, Willow drew more and more power from the earth to bolster Piper's powers. Forcing the power added to hers to obey her, Piper turned around, looking directly at Meta, who was distracted by Link. Raising her hands, she flicked them forward. Her powers, while powerful before, now knew no bounds. Her magic impacted upon Meta, who gave a shriek of pain, before her body was consumed by flames. They spread outwards in a slowly growing explosion, consuming Link and moved on, grasping for more to consume and eat. However, the flames suddenly shrank inwards as they were about to reach Piper, who was frantically trying to freeze them. With a small 'pop', the fire disappeared, absorbed into the figure of Link and the Master Sword.

Plainly happy with himself, Link twirled the blade, and then let it shimmer out of existence. For now, the battle was won.

Her eyes dulled from a vivid purple to their normal blue colour, Zelda blinked, her vision of the battle that had taken place fading. Giving a satisfied smile, she turned, looking at the fallen form of Sam who was unconscious upon one of the many lounges within Halliwell Manor. Holding her hands over Sam's shoulder, Kairi frowned. Sweat was gathered across her brow as she attempted to heal the damage Meta had caused to Sam. The hole that the fire had burned through Sam's shoulder was glowing brightly, widening and then closing as Kairi's magic fought Meta's.

"Here." Zelda placed her hands over Kairi's. A thread of black light joined the wave of pink pooling into Sam's wound. "The wound was caused by a power almost as old as the Universal Gods. Understandably, it will require some time before you grow powerful enough to combat it by yourself."

Watching the two girls with a confused look upon her face, Paige cocked her head. "Um, can I ask something? What is your accent? It doesn't sound like anything I have ever heard before."

Zelda raised her hands as Sam's wound fully closed over. "I originate from another world, Paige. I do not naturally speak English, however, the powers that we possess,' She waved her hand to include Sam, Kairi, Matt and the others. 'grant the ability, among others, to speak any language we encounter."

Matt frowned. "What, wait, you said I had something before too. What is it that I have?"

His younger sister sighed, flipping her hair. "Yes, yes, what special destiny does Matt have now?"

Zelda met Megan's eyes directly. "You would be wise to be more tolerant, Megan." Settling herself gracefully upon a seat, Zelda cleared her throat. "In recent years, there has been a recent rising in the numbers of the Heartless, creatures born from the darkness within people's hearts. This is a direct result of the deaths of the Keyblade Masters during the Keyblade Wars. Sora, 'She nodded to the boy as he walked into the room, freezing as he heard his name. 'has slated this influx somewhat, however there still exists a large imbalance between the forces of Darkness and Light. We have been charged to fix that." Raising her hand, she drew a vertical line, with a small line sticking out at 45 degree angle to the right, creating a tick. Above this, she placed a small circle. "To aid us, we were given these, the Crests of the Light. I have been charged with the power of the Crest of Knowledge, which allows me access to all information which has been revealed in the past." She paused a moment, looking at Matt. "You contain the power of the Crest of Hope, with omnipotent powers over Lightning and Electricity."

"Of course." Megan muttered.

Looking back at Megan, Zelda quirked her mouth. "You, however, are a conundrum."

"Why?" Megan demanded hotly.

Zelda raised a finger. "Allow Paige to bring the others, and I will explain then."

"What?" Paige asked. A suddenly, soft jingle filled the air, making Paige look up. "Piper is calling. Excuse me." She abruptly exploded into a flurry of white and blue orbs, disappearing through the ceiling.

Giving a soft moan, Sam's eyes fluttered open. "Ow." He said weakly. "What did I get hit by this time?"

"Fireball." Kairi supplied perkily.

Sam stared at her in confusion. "I got hit by a fireball."

"Yes."

"As in, a ball of fire?"

"Yes."

Sam stared for a moment longer, before lying back down again. "Ok. I'm just gonna lie here for a while… Let me know when we're done saving the Universe."


	22. Chapter 21: The First Evil

Chapter Twenty One  
The First

Cronus let out a scream of rage, a cry that sounded like the murderous cry of a hurricane, the snap of a lightning bolt striking the land, the rush of water drowning all before it. The world reacted, shaping itself to his will. The elements unleashed their fury across the world, blizzards, maelstroms, tornadoes, the worst of nature reared against the living. Then, as suddenly as they had started, they calmed, magic reigning in Cronus' fury as readily as it had helped it.

"One of our own." He growled. "The High Ones have sent their, their, _lapdogs_ to stop us." He whirled, releasing a bolt of lightning from his hand to destroy a boulder larger than a four story building. "How did they even know we would be released at this time?"

"They didn't." A new voice, deeper, more powerful, rang out in the mountain range where Cronus stood, his second in command, Demitrius looking unsurprised by the newer presence. "It is by mere chance that the Powers That Be would have representatives here."

The voice focused, drawing inward, to coalesce into the form of Meta, the Titan that had recently been vanquished. Simmering with rage, Cronus glowered at her. "You were one of our leaders once. But it seems you have been limited more than we have." He aimed his hand, ejecting a bolt of lightning again. It passed through the air, releasing the scent of ozone, straight through Meta's head to explode on the tree behind her.

"Not limited." Meta retorted. "Freed. Now, none can affect me. Though, likewise," she looked ruefully at her hand, 'none can be affected by my powers in person anymore." Walking forward, Meta touched Demitrius, her hand passing through his chest. "That does not stop my influence over others." She grinned wickedly. With a white shimmer, Meta fused with Demitrius, taking over his body. Creating a fireball, Demitrius looked at it with a satisfied smirk, arching an eyebrow at Cronus.

Reluctantly, Cronus knelt before Demitrius. "My lady." He said, a note of respect entering his voice.

The First smiled again. "My, it is good to have form. However temporary." Demitrius turned to Cronus. "Now, you were attempting to enter the Heavens to deal with the Elders? Let me take a crack at it."

"So the choice now is to decide who is the current Sentinel of Sincerity." Zelda finished, looking between Mai and Megan. "There seems to be a strange aura surrounding the two of you, one that my powers cannot seem to breach." She looked thoughtfully at the two sisters, as if they were a science experiment she desperately wanted to play with. "Have either of you gained a strange affinity with plant life, or experienced an inability to lie, recently?"

Megan and Mai exchanged a look, Megan's one was a mix of exasperation and stubbornness, Mai's of reluctance and isolation. "If it's more power, I don't want it." Mai responded quietly. "I have enough responsibility as it is." She turned to look at Megan. "I don't think I'm the Crest Holder though. My powers are over fire and ice, if I could control plants, I think I would have noticed by now."

Megan blinked, looking shell-shocked. "And if it's not her, then…" She trailed off, straightening up. "I believe that it's me then." A note of smugness filled her voice. "So, what does that mean for me then?"

"The Sentinel, as you may have gathered, is the representative of the quality of Sincerity, that is, acting, speaking and performing in the most sincere and honest manner as possible." Zelda replied. Giving a sigh, Sam settled into the lounge. He was already beginning to recognise the tone Zelda put on when she was in teacher mode. "The Sentinel is aligned with plant life, and can spawn, grow and control plants as she or he desires."

"Right…" Megan said, absorbing the information. "And the telling the truth thing?"

"Those in the presence of the Sentinel are compelled magically to tell the truth. Only individuals with unusual amounts of willpower, or magic, are capable of resisting this effect. Try it."

Megan opened her mouth, moving it as if she were saying something. When no sound came out, she frowned. Her mouth moved again, sound still failing to come out. Eventually, she gave up, smiling ruefully. "I can't."

The manor suddenly shook and the lights flickered. Looking up and around, the collective groups exchanged looks, sensing magical disturbances from around the globe.

"What the hell was that?" Piper asked, looking irate as she straightened up a vase which had fallen over.

The boy, Chris, looked warily at the rest of the group. "The Elders. They've been attacked."

"What?" Piper demanded sharply. "The Eld-..? Leo!" She yelled, looking expectantly up at the ceiling. When there was no reply, she looked directly at Chris. "What is going on?"

"The Elders have been…" He faltered, looking uncertainty at Zelda." They've been attacked."

"The Titans." Zelda supplied quietly. She looked at Piper. "You can't fight this, not as you are… However." She paused."

Sam sighed, his feet itching. "Ok, someone is being attacked. Do we have the power to take them on?"

Zelda frowned. "Under normal circumstances, yes, but.-"

"Good." Sam interrupted. "Sora, Yuna, Tidus, you guys with me." He turned to Chris. "Can you take us there?"

The First cackled as a ball of flames erupted from Demitrius' hands, blasting into an Elder. "This is more fun than I remember it to be." It said, gleefully striking at two more as they tried to flee. A snap of white energy slammed into Demitrius' body, , making the combination of Titan and Primordial Evil stagger back slightly.

Standing at the top of the stairs leading into the inner sanctums of the Heavens, Aramis, leader of the Elders, glared down at the two beings before him. Without saying anything, he released two more blasts of energy, enough to have destroyed any other magical being. Instead, the two before him simply waved it away, though the one with the red sash appeared to have a greater difficulty doing so than the other.

"So, you are the current leader of the Galactic Gods." The First said, eyes narrowing at Aramis. "Well, this will be a nice challenge. I thank you for leaving these two alive." The First used Demitrius' body to indicate his and Cronus' bodies. "They have proven useful."

"Useful?" Cronus let out a low roar. "I was one of the top leaders of the Banished Pantheon, ruler of this world!"

A wave of black energy exploded from Demitrius' body, knocking Aramis and Cronus off of their feet. _I am the First Evil, the originator of the war you speak of._ It was a voice felt rather than heard, a feeling of evil that entered everything. _Apprentice to the Original Ones, holder of powers you can only dream of. Kneel before my might now, and watch as my chains crumble, my might unleashed upon this Universe once mo-_

With a scream, the body of Demitrius exploded in a pool of blue. Behind it, Sam stood there with Sora's hands on his shoulder. Nirvana crackled with a vivid energy, funnelling power from Sora.

"I'm sorry, was that last part 'Might unleashed upon this Universe', or 'Blight unleashed upon this Universe'?" Sam asked, a frown splashed across his face. Trapped between Aramis and the vanquisher of Demitrius, Cronus fled in a flash of lightning. Looking up at Aramis, Sam arched an eyebrow. "You gonna try again, or do I do that to you too?"

Glowering down at him, Aramis opted for a more diplomatic response. "I thank you, on behalf of the Elders." A tremor of repressed anger was in his voice. "But you have only safeguarded us. The rest of the world still needs to be saved." He waved his hand and created an image of cold, mountainous tundra. Cronus was there, panting. At his feet, a pool of darkness had opened. Looking down at it in fury, and then with a look of dawning comprehension, Cronus grinned, raising his arms above his head, inviting the darkness to infuse his very being. Divine power and darkness mingled within his being. His skin darkened, his eyes brightening to orange. Where once Cronus the Titan stood, now stood Cronus, a being of Darkness powered by the Heartless. Sora noticeably paled, the Keyblade shimmering in to existence in his hand.

Waving his hand once more, Aramis showed an alternate image, one of darkness, bulging and moving. "The First Evil." He said in answer to Sam's enquiring look. "As powerful as you are, Crest Holder, however, severely limited by the Supreme Gods. If the First gains knowledge of Cronus' new state, it would undoubtedly be freed; something not even the Supreme Gods would easily be able to deal with." Aramis dismissed the image, looking down at Sam with a self-satisfied smirk. "Your powers probably won't be enough here, Crest Holder."

"We'll find out, I guess." Sam replied. He turned to Chris. "Is there any way to bolster our forces quickly?" He asked the young white lighter.

Looking up at Aramis, Chris nodded shortly. "Yeah, there is." Aramis' smirk slowly faded away.

"What?"


End file.
